secretary-general
noun
sec·re·tary-gen·er·al
ˈse-krə-ˌter-ē-ˈjen-rəl 
-ˈje-nə-rəl
plural secretaries-general
: a principal administrative officer
secretary-general of the United Nations
Examples of secretary-general in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His latest order directed the secretary of state to inform the secretary-general of the United States and World Health Organization leadership of the U.S. decision to withdraw from the group.
—
Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
Al-Sheikh, 64, is a veteran politician who has held a series of top positions over decades, most recently as the secretary-general of the PLO’s executive committee for the last three years.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Mark Rutte, who was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 2010 to 2024, is now the secretary-general of NATO, an organization that President Trump regards with an indifference bordering on contempt.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025
That result would then be communicated by the U.N. secretary-general to all member states, the WHO, and the International Narcotics Control Board.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for secretary-general
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
Al-Sheikh, 64, is a veteran politician who has held a series of top positions over decades, most recently as the secretary-general of the PLO’s executive committee for the last three years.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Mark Rutte, who was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 2010 to 2024, is now the secretary-general of NATO, an organization that President Trump regards with an indifference bordering on contempt.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025
That result would then be communicated by the U.N. secretary-general to all member states, the WHO, and the International Narcotics Control Board.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for secretary-general
Cite this Entry
“Secretary-general.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secretary-general. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share