under secretary

American  

[uhn-der-sek-ri-ter-ee] / ˈʌn dərˈsɛk rɪˌtɛr i /

Or undersecretary

noun

(often initial capital letters)

1. an official who is subordinate to a principal secretary, as in the U.S. cabinet.

   Under Secretary of the Treasury.

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Etymology

Origin of under secretary

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

under secretary

Emil Michael, under secretary for research and engineering, has led the Defense Department’s negotiations with Anthropic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

On Friday, Sarah Rogers, the State Department under secretary for public diplomacy, said Deranque's killing showed "why we treat political violence -- terrorism -- so harshly".

From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026

When the Conservatives won the 1979 election, Margaret Thatcher appointed Tebbit as an under secretary of state at the Department of Trade.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2025

"You don't want your next deputy under secretary of the Treasury to go work for a lobbyist for four years,' Fagan said. "You want them to be doing policy planning.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2024

James V. Forrestal became under secretary in August 1940; during the next year Ralph A. Bard, a Chicago investment banker, joined the department as assistant secretary, and Adlai E. Stevenson became special assistant.

From Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965 by MacGregor, Morris J.