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
Sevigny played Patrick Bateman’s secretary, Jean, in the 2000 satire, directed by Mary Harron.
—
Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 2 May 2025
The agreement was locked today by the UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy, who is on a three-day tour of India, alongside Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, India’s Minister for Culture and Tourism.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 2 May 2025
Waltz will temporarily be replaced by Marco Rubio, who already has three other jobs: secretary of state, national archivist and acting administrator for the United States Agency for International Development.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
His secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security reportedly will not, for now, recommend doing so, but the potential impact: mobilizing troops to round up immigrants in American neighborhoods.
—Kica Matos, Time, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for secretary
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Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 2 May 2025
The agreement was locked today by the UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy, who is on a three-day tour of India, alongside Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, India’s Minister for Culture and Tourism.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 2 May 2025
Waltz will temporarily be replaced by Marco Rubio, who already has three other jobs: secretary of state, national archivist and acting administrator for the United States Agency for International Development.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
His secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security reportedly will not, for now, recommend doing so, but the potential impact: mobilizing troops to round up immigrants in American neighborhoods.
—Kica Matos, Time, 2 May 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 6 May. 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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