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 \

Definition of secretary

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 :writing desk, escritoire

b :a writing desk with a top section for books

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secretarial

play \ˌse-krə-ˈter-ē-əl\ adjective

—

secretaryship

play \ˈse-krə-ˌter-ē-ˌship\ noun

See secretary defined for English-language learners

See secretary defined for kids

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 of secretary from the Web

State Rep. Scott Schwab is officially running to become the next Kansas secretary of state.

— hunter woodall, kansascity, "Scott Schwab announces bid for Kansas secretary of state’s office," 30 Aug. 2017
In fact, the number of executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants is expected to drop by 6% between 2014 and 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

— moira lawler, Fortune, "Executives Swear by These 7 Apps for Staying on Top of Things," 30 Aug. 2017
Ari Fleischer, George W. Bush's first press secretary, said on Fox News.

— ashley parker and john wagner, chicagotribune.com, "Trump's ability to govern tested by Harvey at home and North Korea abroad," 29 Aug. 2017
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters traveling with the president on Air Force One.

— toluse olorunnipa and jennifer epstein / bloomberg, Time, "President Trump Hopes His Response to Hurricane Harvey Will Be a Model," 29 Aug. 2017
Just yesterday, the secretary of State affirmed this conviction.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump May Be More Dangerous Than His Handlers Realized," 28 Aug. 2017
Tellingly, her name was left off a scathing letter the City Council sent in mid-August to the secretary of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates the dam.

— ryan sabalow and dale kasler, sacbee, "Oroville mayor said all was well during dam crisis. Was she being spun?," 26 Aug. 2017
The White House will soon release a memo that allows Jim Mattis, the secretary of defense, the discretion to dismiss transgender service members.

— julie mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, "Military Will Have Authority to Remove Transgender Service Members in the Next 6 Months," 24 Aug. 2017
And then there's his secretary, Penny, a full-blooded Cherokee Indian.

— amy wallace, GQ, "Jerry Lewis, the Essence of Comedy," 20 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'secretary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of secretary

Origin and Etymology of secretary

Middle English secretarie, from Medieval Latin secretarius, confidential employee, secretary, from Latin secretum secret, from neuter of secretus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

secretary Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

archivist, bookkeeper, recorder, reporter, transcriptionist; annalist, chronicler, documenter, historian

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

SECRETARY Defined for English Language Learners

secretary

noun

Definition of secretary for English Language Learners

: a person whose job is to handle records, letters, etc., for another person in an office
: a person in a club or other organization who is in charge of keeping letters and records
: an official who is selected by the President and is in charge of a particular department of the government

SECRETARY Defined for Kids

secretary

noun sec·re·tary \ ˈse-krə-ˌter-ē \

Definition of secretary for Students

plural secretaries

1 :a person who is employed to take care of records, letters, and routine work for another person

2 :an officer of a business corporation or society who is in charge of the letters and records and who keeps minutes of meetings

3 :a government official in charge of a department

the secretary of education

4 :a writing desk with a top section for books

Law Dictionary

secretary

noun, often capitalized sec·re·tary

legal Definition of secretary

plural secretaries

1 :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 interests

2 :a government officer who superintends an administrative department