undersecretary

noun

un·​der·​sec·​re·​tary ˌən-dər-ˈse-krə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce undersecretary (audio)
-ˈse-kə-
variants or under secretary
: a secretary immediately subordinate to a principal secretary
often capitalized when used as a title
the British Undersecretary for India
the Under Secretary of the Treasury

Examples of undersecretary 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.
Dario Gil, undersecretary for science at the US Department of Energy, has already signaled that this is a presidential priority. Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 31 Dec. 2025 The company made national news in January when President Donald Trump appointed its cofounder, Michael Boren, as an undersecretary at the Department of Agriculture. Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 23 Dec. 2025 Tibor Nagy, a veteran diplomat who was Trump’s acting undersecretary of state for management until April, has long been a critic of the vast networks of nonprofit organizations funded by American taxpayers. Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 15 Dec. 2025 The point person for the government’s inquiry is Labour member of Parliament Jess Phillips, who has served as the parliamentary undersecretary of state for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls since July 2024. Michael Saunders, FOXNews.com, 29 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for undersecretary

Word History

First Known Use

1687, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of undersecretary was in 1687

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Undersecretary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undersecretary. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

undersecretary

noun
un·​der·​sec·​re·​tary ˌən-dər-ˈsek-rə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce undersecretary (audio)
: a secretary right under a principal secretary
undersecretary of state

More from Merriam-Webster on undersecretary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!