secretary-general

[ sek-ri-ter-ee-jen-er-uhl ]

/ ˈsɛk rɪˌtɛr iˈdʒɛn ər əl /

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noun, plural sec·re·tar·ies-gen·er·al.

the head or chief administrative officer of a secretariat.

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Origin of secretary-general

First recorded in 1695–1705

Words nearby secretary-general

Secrétan's syndrome, secretarial, secretariat, secretary, secretary bird, secretary-general, secretary of defense, secretary of state, secret ballot, secrete, secret history

How to use secretary-general in a sentence

“They are hypocritical on this very issue,” Shearer said about Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and other public officials.
Harry Shearer on The Dangerous Business of Satire|Lloyd Grove|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It also contains some clunky passages of adultery, temptations of the flesh, and general sexual awkwardness.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Closed courthouses, rogue clerks, and misleading statements from the attorney general as Florida welcomes same-sex marriage.
The Back Alley, Low Blow-Ridden Fight to Stop Gay Marriage in Florida Is Finally Over|Jay Michaelson|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“We would just as soon stay away from a group that will create controversy,” the Cubs general manager Sam Bernabe told the paper.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Your general reaction runs along the lines of: “When will these geezers give it up and go for a mall walk or something?”
The World’s Toughest Political Quiz|Jeff Greenfield|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A Yankee, whose face had been mauled in a pot-house brawl, assured General Jackson that he had received his scars in battle.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
In the year of misery, of agony and suffering in general he had endured, he had settled upon one theory.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
To others the fierce desire for social justice obliterates all fear of a general catastrophe.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Finally, let me ask the general reader to put aside all prejudice, and give both sides a fair hearing.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
He desired his secretary to go to the devil, but, thinking better of it, he recalled him as he reached the door.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for secretary-general

secretary-general

noun plural secretaries-general

a chief administrative official, as of the United Nations

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012