undersecretary
noun
un·der·sec·re·tary
ˌən-dər-ˈse-krə-ˌter-ē 
-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
The deputy-secretary position at DHS is vacant, and the official next in line to take over as acting secretary is Rob Law, the undersecretary for strategy, policy, and plans.
—
Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
According to Axios, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reached out on Monday to Emil Michael, the undersecretary of Defense for research and engineering, to rework part of the contract and add additional protections regarding the surveillance of Americans.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
In her post blasting him, the public diplomacy undersecretary Sarah Rogers focused on a different research project the CCDH had undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
Jones deployed to Iraq in 2005 and served as Air Force undersecretary from 2021 to 2023 under the Biden administration.
—Molly Smith, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for undersecretary
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Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
According to Axios, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reached out on Monday to Emil Michael, the undersecretary of Defense for research and engineering, to rework part of the contract and add additional protections regarding the surveillance of Americans.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
In her post blasting him, the public diplomacy undersecretary Sarah Rogers focused on a different research project the CCDH had undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
Jones deployed to Iraq in 2005 and served as Air Force undersecretary from 2021 to 2023 under the Biden administration.
—Molly Smith, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for undersecretary
Cite this Entry
“Undersecretary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undersecretary. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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undersecretary
noun
un·der·sec·re·tary
ˌən-dər-ˈsek-rə-ˌter-ē
: a secretary right under a principal secretary
undersecretary of state
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