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
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Those include the Iranian Football Federation’s secretary-general, Hedayat Mombeini, and its vice president, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi. ABC News, 7 June 2026 As part of the warning, UN secretary-general António Guterres delivered a video statement urging the world’s governments to start preparing for an extreme warning period, in addition to prolonged droughts in some areas and heavier rainfall in others. Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 3 June 2026 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 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 8 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

secretary-general

noun
plural secretaries-general
: a principal officer of administration
secretary-general of the United Nations
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