secretary of state
Americannoun
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the head and chief administrator of the U.S. Department of State.
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British. any of several ministers in the British government.
A new secretary of state for the Home Department has been appointed.
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(in the U.S.) the appointed or elected official in a state government whose chief function is to distribute statutes, administer elections, keep archives, etc.
noun
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(in Britain) the head of any of several government departments
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(in the US) the head of the government department in charge of foreign affairs ( State Department )
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(in certain US states) an official with various duties, such as keeping records
Etymology
Origin of secretary of state
First recorded in 1610–20
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.
Only after receiving certification from the attorney general, the Ballot Board and the secretary of state can the petitioners begin collecting signatures.
From Salon • Jul. 9, 2026
Shenna Bellows, the Maine secretary of state, is known for her lawsuit to block Trump administration attempts to gain access to state voter data.
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2026
Statewide, early results show 41% of registered voters turned up for the June election, up from 33% in 2022, according to the secretary of state.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2026
Proponents of the novel wealth tax gathered an estimated 980,438 valid signatures from registered voters, California’s secretary of state said late Wednesday, clearing the 875,000 threshold they had needed to qualify.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026
Instead, Oppenheimer was shunted off to George Harrison, who relayed his thoughts to Jim Byrnes, now Truman’s secretary of state.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
