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.
"We further call on the secretary of state to instigate a long overdue comprehensive examination of the commission's internal decision-making processes, which since its inception, have often lacked credibility, accountability and transparency."
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Applicants will have to register with the secretary of state, document a threat within the past year and receive a substitute address that government agencies must generally accept.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
Christopher Landau, U.S. deputy secretary of state, said last week that cooperation on security, migration and trade were crucial for the prosperity of both countries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
And Section 5 of the order allows the secretary of state and Homeland Security to grant any exemptions they want to parents who might otherwise fall within the order’s orbit.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
In 1867, while still serving as secretary of state and still bearing the disfiguring facial scars of the knife attack, he purchased Alaska for the United States.
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.
