secretary-general
Americannoun
-
secretaries-general
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of secretary-general
First recorded in 1695–1705
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The campaign for the next United Nations secretary-general is under way, and the latest straw poll of Security Council members has three South or Central Americans on top.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
"A stalled process is better than no process," emphasises Georgette Gagnon, a deputy special representative of the secretary-general for Afghanistan, who is now the acting head of the UN mission in Kabul.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The chair, who serves as principal adviser to the alliance’s secretary-general, is elected by national defense chiefs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The president is reportedly considering pushing Infantino to become the next United Nations secretary-general when António Guterres’ term expires in December.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Walter Sisulu was elected the new secretary-general, and Oliver Tambo was elected to the National Executive Committee.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
We don’t know why they didn’t invoke Article 99, and several of the previous secretaries-general are now dead.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 7, 2023
Previous secretaries-general have brought threats that they saw to international peace and security to the Security Council without mentioning Article 99.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 7, 2023
"The secretaries-general who've failed to get full second terms have antagonized one of the permanent five Security Council members," he said.
From Reuters ● Jun. 19, 2011
At Caramanlis' urging, the Cabinet fired all the military-appointed provincial prefects and all secretaries-general of the government ministries.
From Time Magazine Archive
The chief of all the personnel of prefects, under-prefects, and secretaries-general represented there, lolling on these velvet divans in this vulgar greenroom.
From His Excellency the Minister by Henri Roberts
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
