noun
secretary
SEHK-ruh-tuh-ree
noun
1
A person who handles correspondence, records, and administrative tasks for a person or organisation.
"His secretary scheduled all his meetings for the week."
2
A government official in charge of a particular department.
"The Secretary of State met with foreign diplomats on Tuesday."
How to Use Secretary
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone who handles admin and correspondence, or a senior government official leading a department.
Common pairings
personal secretary
Secretary of State
company secretary
Word Forms
secretaried past tense, secretaries plural, secretaries singular
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Etymology
From Medieval Latin "secretarius" ("one entrusted with secrets"), from Latin "secretus" ("private, secret").