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

Asyraf Wajid Dusuki, secretary-general of the United Malays National Organization, said in a statement that the party had collected sufficient funds through its donation drive for Najib. — ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026

Another was Hussein Abdallah al-Maatouq, a religious dignitary and secretary-general of the National Islamic Alliance, Kuwait's most influential Shia movement, the sources said. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Diosdado Cabello, the powerful interior minister and secretary-general of the ruling socialist party, asserted Monday that no one faces political persecution in Venezuela. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026

The move was expected after Palestinian factions across the political spectrum met in Cairo for discussions on delaying the vote, Islamic Jihad deputy secretary-general Mohammed al-Hindi told the Associated Press earlier this week. — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1701, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for secretary-general

• general

Kids Definition

secretary-general

noun

plural secretaries-general

: a principal officer of administration

secretary-general of the United Nations