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
The alliance’s spokesperson Allison Hart said its secretary-general is in touch with Romanian authorities following the incident.
—
Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
However, the militant group’s secretary-general, Naim Qassem, decried negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, calling on Lebanese people to take to the streets against their government.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, the deputy secretary-general, said that given the high level of movement of people and goods across the region, coordinated preparedness and rapid information sharing are essential to preventing cross-border transmission.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
That makes the speech delivered nine days ago by George Robertson, defense secretary in former Prime Minister Tony Blair's first administration and later the 10th secretary-general of NATO, all the more extraordinary.
—Ian King, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
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.
Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
However, the militant group’s secretary-general, Naim Qassem, decried negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, calling on Lebanese people to take to the streets against their government.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, the deputy secretary-general, said that given the high level of movement of people and goods across the region, coordinated preparedness and rapid information sharing are essential to preventing cross-border transmission.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
That makes the speech delivered nine days ago by George Robertson, defense secretary in former Prime Minister Tony Blair's first administration and later the 10th secretary-general of NATO, all the more extraordinary.
—Ian King, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
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 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
