secretary of defense

Cultural  

1. The civilian head of the United States Department of Defense and a member of the cabinet, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The secretary of defense works with civilian and military advisers to formulate American military policies and make foreign policy recommendations to the president.

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Example Sentences

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secretary of defense

And an executive order signed by President Barack Obama in 2012 delegated this authority to the secretary of defense.

From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026

Her former colleague Pete Hegseth, now secretary of defense, sold more than 300,000 copies of his last two books, both of which were military grievance memoirs.

From Salon ● Apr. 18, 2026

Mara Karlin, who served as assistant secretary of defense for strategy during the Biden administration, said the priority then was beefing up the military presence in the Pacific.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

According to Fidell, the secretary of defense has the authority to demote only flag officers—that is, generals and admirals.

From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2026

He has played squash with two vice presidents and a secretary of defense.

From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson