secretary

American  

[sek-ri-ter-ee] / ˈsɛk rɪˌtɛr i /

noun

plural

secretaries

1. a person, usually an official, who is in charge of the records, correspondence, minutes of meetings, and related affairs of an organization, company, association, etc..

   the secretary of the Linguistic Society of America.

2. a person employed to handle correspondence and do routine work in a business office, usually involving taking dictation, typing, filing, and the like.

3. private secretary.

4. (often initial capital letter) an officer of state charged with the superintendence and management of a particular department of government, as a member of the president's cabinet in the U.S..

   Secretary of the Treasury.

5. Also called diplomatic secretary.  a diplomatic official of an embassy or legation who ranks below a counselor and is usually assigned as first secretary, second secretary, or third secretary.

6. a piece of furniture for use as a writing desk.

7. Also called secretary bookcase.  a desk with bookshelves on top of it.

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secretary British  

/ -ərɪ, ˈsɛkrətrɪ, ˌsɛkrɪˈtɛərɪəl /

noun

1. a person who handles correspondence, keeps records, and does general clerical work for an individual, organization, etc

2. the official manager of the day-to-day business of a society or board

3. (in Britain) a senior civil servant who assists a government minister

4. (in the US and New Zealand) the head of a government administrative department

5. (in Britain) See secretary of state

6. (in Australia) the head of a public service department

7. diplomacy the assistant to an ambassador or diplomatic minister of certain countries

8. another name for secretaire

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Other Word Forms

• secretarial adjective
• secretaryship noun
• subsecretary noun
• subsecretaryship noun
• undersecretaryship noun

Etymology

Origin of secretary

1350–1400; Middle English secretarie one trusted with private or secret matters; confidant < Medieval Latin sēcrētārius < Latin sēcrēt ( um ) secret (noun) + -ārius -ary

Example Sentences

The White House responded by directing MarketWatch to an X post from press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

The president will address the nation with “an important update on Iran”, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, at 9 p.m.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Researchers value the decades of writing by former Mao personal secretary Li Rui for providing a rare insider’s view of relationships and discussions at the top levels of the Chinese Communist Party.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Removing the uranium stockpile would be one of the "most complicated special operations in history," said Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

“That’s true,” the secretary calls in through the office door.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• assistant
• clerk
• executive secretary