secretary-general

American  

[sek-ri-ter-ee-jen-er-uhl] / ˈsɛk rɪˌtɛr iˈdʒɛn ər əl /

noun

plural

secretaries-general

1. the head or chief administrative officer of a secretariat.

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secretary-general British  

noun

1. a chief administrative official, as of the United Nations

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Etymology

Origin of secretary-general

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

"The most recent El Nino, in 2023-24, was one of the five strongest on record and it played a role in the record global temperatures we saw in 2024," the WMO secretary-general said.

From Barron's

Throughout the day, he spoke with the leaders of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s secretary-general, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Founded in 1945, the UN has never had a woman secretary-general.

From Barron's

The Costa Rican former vice-president said she wanted to rebuild global trust in the United Nations if she becomes its next secretary-general.

From Barron's

NATO's secretary-general at the time, Jens Stoltenberg, dismissed Macron's call for strategic dialogue in Europe, arguing that a "tried and tested" deterrent was already in place.

From Barron's