secretary

1 of 2

noun (1)

sec·​re·​tary ˈse-krə-ˌter-ē 

ˈse-kə-ˌter-

in rapid speech also ˈsek-ˌter-

especially British ˈse-k(r)ə-trē

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

secretarial

ˌse-krə-ˈter-ē-əl 

adjective

secretaryship

ˈse-krə-ˌter-ē-ˌship 

noun

Illustration of secretary

• secretary 4b

secretaryship

2 of 2

noun (2)

sec·​re·​tary·​ship -ˌship 

: the duties or office of a secretary

Synonyms of secretary

Noun (1)

• registrar
• clerk

Examples of secretary in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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 on the Web

Noun

The defense secretary warned that financial transactions on prediction markets could expose sensitive military movements to foreign adversaries and endanger American troops. — James Laporta, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Jason Weida Then the secretary of the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration, Weida worked with the agency’s co-counsel, Andrew Sheeran, on the $67 million Medicaid settlement. — Liv Caputo Herald, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026

And to David Hayes, who served as deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior during the Obama administration, this suggests that financing hamstrung the project even more than red tape. — Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026

Amara Pugh, Gonzalez's 31-year-old secretary, along with Jessica Tavares, 31; Erica Daniels, 29; and Jaylin Hill, 26, were allegedly paid to marry Gonzalez's clients. — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing secretary

• executive secretary
• press secretary
• secretary bird
• secretary-general
• social secretary
• sub-secretary
• under secretary

Rhymes for secretary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• apiary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• bacillary
• beriberi
• bestiary
• breviary
• budgetary

Kids Definition

secretary

noun

sec·​re·​tary ˈsek-rə-ˌter-ē 

plural secretaries

1

: a person employed to handle records, letters, and routine work for another person

2

: an officer of a business corporation or society who has charge of the letters and records

3

: a government official in charge of a division

Secretary of State

4

: a desk with a top section for books

secretarial

ˌsek-rə-ˈter-ē-əl 

adjective

Legal Definition

secretary

noun

sec·​re·​tary

plural secretaries

often capitalized

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