under secretary

American  

[uhn-der-sek-ri-ter-ee] / ˈʌn dərˈsɛk rɪˌtɛr i /

Or undersecretary

noun

(often initial capital letters)

1. an official who is subordinate to a principal secretary, as in the U.S. cabinet.

   Under Secretary of the Treasury.

---

Etymology

Origin of under secretary

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

under secretary

Emil Michael, under secretary for research and engineering, has led the Defense Department’s negotiations with Anthropic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

The United States "expressed support for Pakistan's right to defend itself against Taliban attacks", Allison Hooker, the under secretary of state for political affairs, wrote on X after talks with her Pakistani counterpart.

From Barron's ● Feb. 28, 2026

The message, posted on the account of the under secretary for foreign assistance, said reports had been received about officials illegally seizing 76 tonnes of food intended for "vulnerable Somalis".

From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2026

"You don't want your next deputy under secretary of the Treasury to go work for a lobbyist for four years,' Fagan said. "You want them to be doing policy planning.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2024

I informed the under secretary, who was in waiting, who I was, and what was my business, and I made an appointment to wait on Colonel McMahon at two o'clock on the following day.

From Memoirs of Henry Hunt, Esq. — Volume 3 by Henry Hunt