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secretary of defense

Cultural

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.

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.

Federal statutes require the secretary of defense, or secretary of one of the services, to jump through various hoops in order to delay the promotion of an officer.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

“This war was a threshold-crossing event in so many different ways,” said Dana Stroul, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 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

On Veep, he played a comical version of the US secretary of defense, who runs for office against the main character, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025

President John Kennedy, who had appointed him secretary of defense in 1961, called McNamara the smartest man he’d ever met.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023