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.
What To Know During a White House meeting with NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte in mid-July, Trump expressed his unhappiness with Moscow and warned of tariffs of 100 percent on countries doing business with Russia if no deal was done in 50 days. Brendan Cole john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 July 2025 The Secretariat is led by a secretary-general — currently, former Kuwaiti official Haitham al-Ghais, who took office for his first three-year term in 2022 and has since been reappointed for a second stint starting Aug. 1, 2025. Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 11 July 2025 Each European country will decide independently on whether to introduce military conscription, NATO's secretary-general has said, as the continent forges ahead with its rapid defense ramp up. Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025 Following President Donald Trump's successful brokering of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, critics say the U.N. secretary-general, António Guterres, could do well to follow Trump's lead as a peacemaker. Beth Bailey , David Hammelburg, FOXNews.com, 28 June 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 1 Aug. 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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