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.
Thant’s accomplishments are all the more impressive because the position of secretary-general carries no real power—except for the moral authority to speak for the world as a whole. Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025 The colossi were toppled by a strong earthquake in about 1200 BC that also destroyed Amenhotep III's funerary temple, said Mohamed Ismail, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025 Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, pushed back on the claim of unpaid taxes during his daily press briefing on Monday. Tamar Michaelis, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025 Andrew Wilson, deputy secretary-general for policy at ICC, disputed the report’s findings and said that the numbers are overstated. Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025 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 30 Dec. 2025.

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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