secretary

[sek-ri-ter-ee]

noun

plural

secretaries 

1. a person, usually an official, who is in charge of the records, correspondence, minutes of meetings, and related affairs of an organization, company, association, etc..

   the secretary of the Linguistic Society of America.

2. a person employed to handle correspondence and do routine work in a business office, usually involving taking dictation, typing, filing, and the like.

3. private secretary.

4. (often initial capital letter),  an officer of state charged with the superintendence and management of a particular department of government, as a member of the president's cabinet in the U.S..

   Secretary of the Treasury.

5. Also called diplomatic secretary. a diplomatic official of an embassy or legation who ranks below a counselor and is usually assigned as first secretary, second secretary, or third secretary.

6. a piece of furniture for use as a writing desk.

7. Also called secretary bookcase. a desk with bookshelves on top of it.

secretary

/ -ərɪ, ˈsɛkrətrɪ, ˌsɛkrɪˈtɛərɪəl /

noun

1. a person who handles correspondence, keeps records, and does general clerical work for an individual, organization, etc

2. the official manager of the day-to-day business of a society or board

3. (in Britain) a senior civil servant who assists a government minister

4. (in the US and New Zealand) the head of a government administrative department

5. (in Britain) See secretary of state

6. (in Australia) the head of a public service department

7. diplomacy the assistant to an ambassador or diplomatic minister of certain countries

8. another name for secretaire

Other Word Forms

• secretaryship noun
• subsecretary noun
• subsecretaryship noun
• undersecretaryship noun
• secretarial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of secretary¹

1350–1400; Middle English secretarie one trusted with private or secret matters; confidant < Medieval Latin sēcrētārius < Latin sēcrēt ( um ) secret (noun) + -ārius -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of secretary¹

C14: from Medieval Latin sēcrētārius, from Latin sēcrētum something hidden; see _secret

Example Sentences

“There is essentially no information on how that money is being used,” said Brad Setser, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an assistant Treasury secretary during the Obama administration.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Johnson's former top adviser Dominic Cummings was also singled out as a "destabilising influence" and former health secretary Matt Hancock was criticised in the 800-page report.

Read more on BBC

It is the home province of To Lam, who in August last year was appointed general secretary of the ruling Communist Party, becoming Vietnam’s most powerful man.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, his health secretary, Matt Hancock, is accused by Baroness Hallett of not being "candid" enough about the UK's ability to deal with the virus.

Read more on BBC

Last month Thamesmead was one of the areas shortlisted for the construction of a new town under the housing secretary's plan to "get Britain building again".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• assistant 
• clerk 
• executive secretary