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

The president and his “secretary of war” deliver unhinged macho-snowflake monologues urging senior military officers to wage war on civilians in American cities.

From Salon

Then the secretary grew even more blunt: “That’s how he had money.”

From Salon

Hundreds of people have been arrested since the group was outlawed by former home secretary Yvette Cooper in the summer, predominantly for holding signs saying they support Palestine Action.

From BBC

The former foreign secretary was accused by some in the crowd of allowing antisemitism to increase during Labour's time in government.

From BBC

The home secretary also called for demonstrators to "step back" from plans to hold marches in coming days.

From BBC

Related Words

• assistant 
• clerk 
• executive secretary