secretary-general

noun

sec·​re·​tary-gen·​er·​al ˈse-krə-ˌter-ē-ˈjen-rəl How to pronounce secretary-general (audio)
-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
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.
The strike has drawn wide condemnation from the secretary-general of the United Nations and international human rights groups. Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026 The shooting down of a ballistic missile headed for Turkey by NATO air defenses does not provide immediate reason to trigger the alliance’s Article 5 mutual defense clause, its secretary-general, Mark Rutte, has said. Jasmine Green, NBC news, 5 Mar. 2026 Qiu Yuanyuan, secretary-general of the Jiangsu International Communication Center at Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation, moderated the discussion, which focused on how Chinese content can travel more effectively in international markets. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026 The former secretary-general of the United Nations was a co-recipient of the Peace prize in 2001. Connor Greene, Time, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for secretary-general

Word History

First Known Use

1701, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of secretary-general was in 1701

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Cite this Entry

“Secretary-general.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secretary-general. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

secretary-general

noun
plural secretaries-general
: a principal officer of administration
secretary-general of the United Nations
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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