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.
The last US secretary of state to visit Iceland was Antony Blinken in 2021.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
In Arkansas, all it took was a few clicks on the Arkansas secretary of state website, $45 and an American flag to form a bona fide private school with the Arkansas Times.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
California voters will decide this November whether incumbent Shirley Weber will be reelected as secretary of state of California or her challenger, Republican Don Wagner, will replace her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
“They seem to want to go legit,” said David Schenker, a former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
I had agreed to international mediation, and on April 13 a dele-gation arrived led by Lord Carrington, the former British foreign secretary, and Henry Kissinger, the former American secretary of state.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
