Illustration of secretary
- secretary 4b
secretary
noun
sec·re·tary
ˈse-krə-ˌter-ē 
ˈse-kə-ˌter-,
in rapid speech also ˈsek-ˌter-,
especially British ˈse-k(r)ə-trē
plural secretaries
1
: one employed to handle correspondence and manage routine and detail work for a superior
2
a
: an officer of a business concern who may keep records of directors' and stockholders' meetings and of stock ownership and transfer and help supervise the company's legal interests
b
: an officer of an organization or society responsible for its records and correspondence
3
: an officer of state who superintends a government administrative department
the secretary of labor
4
a
b
: a writing desk with a top section for books
Examples of secretary in a Sentence
You can set up an appointment with my secretary.
He works as a legal secretary.
He was the club's secretary.
He is a junior secretary at the embassy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Watch Ferrari on Hulu Eileen Debuting at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, this psychological thriller set in 1960s Massachusetts centers on the titular Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie), a young secretary ostracized by her peers at a correctional facility for teenage boys.
—
Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Today, Interpol unites 196 member countries under the leadership of a secretary general, orchestrating daily operations to combat various international crimes.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The secretary also recently announced his intention to remodel the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, put into place in the 1980s to limit pharmaceutical companies’ exposure to lawsuits over vaccines’ health effects—and, by extension, to protect the stability of the nation’s vaccine supply.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
Yvette Cooper, who had been serving as home secretary, has taken up Lammy’s former role as foreign minister, Downing Street said.
—Max Foster, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for secretary
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Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Today, Interpol unites 196 member countries under the leadership of a secretary general, orchestrating daily operations to combat various international crimes.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The secretary also recently announced his intention to remodel the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, put into place in the 1980s to limit pharmaceutical companies’ exposure to lawsuits over vaccines’ health effects—and, by extension, to protect the stability of the nation’s vaccine supply.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
Yvette Cooper, who had been serving as home secretary, has taken up Lammy’s former role as foreign minister, Downing Street said.
—Max Foster, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for secretary
Cite this Entry
“Secretary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secretary. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
secretary
noun
sec·re·tary
ˈsek-rə-ˌter-ē
plural secretaries
1
: a person employed to handle records, letters, and routine work for another person
2
: an officer of a business corporation or society who has charge of the letters and records
3
: a government official in charge of a division
Secretary of State
4
: a desk with a top section for books
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