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.
In 1976, he supported Jim Callaghan in the leadership election, and was appointed secretary of state for prices and consumer protection - his final Cabinet post.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026
So, two weeks later, he made his own appearance, trying to best the secretary of state before the White House press corps.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
County, around 1.4 million ballots have been counted, while some 700,000 still need to be processed, according to the secretary of state.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Steyer, a billionaire former hedge-fund manager who also ran for president in 2020, has spent $216 million of his own money on his run for governor, according to data from California’s secretary of state.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
The daughter of the secretary of state has been sitting at the foot of her father’s bed.
From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly
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.
