secretary

The word “secretary” means a person who handles correspondence, records, and administrative tasks for a person or organisation. In plain terms, someone who handles admin and correspondence, or a senior government official leading a department.

“Secretary” is pronounced SEHK-ruh-tuh-ree (/ˈsɛk.(ɹ)əˌtɛɹ.i/ in IPA).

Here is “secretary” used in a sentence: “His secretary scheduled all his meetings for the week.”

Words with a similar meaning to “secretary” include administrator, assistant, administrative assistant, amanuensis, clerk and scribe.

“Secretary” is a noun.

The word “secretary” comes from Medieval Latin. From Medieval Latin "secretarius" ("one entrusted with secrets"), from Latin "secretus" ("private, secret").

“Secretary” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Secretary” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person who handles correspondence, records, and administrative tasks for a person or organisation.

A secretary handles general administrative work such as correspondence, filing, scheduling and records, often for a team or office. A personal assistant supports one specific individual, usually a senior manager, taking on more personal and higher-level tasks like managing their diary, travel and priorities. The PA role is tied more closely to one person.

A receptionist works at the front desk, greeting visitors, answering the main phone line and directing enquiries. A secretary handles broader behind-the-scenes admin such as letters, reports and appointments. Their duties can overlap in small offices, but a receptionist is the first point of contact, while a secretary provides ongoing support.

A company secretary is a senior corporate role, quite different from a general office secretary. They make sure the organisation follows the law and good governance, keeping statutory records, filing official documents and supporting the board of directors. It is a position of legal responsibility rather than routine clerical work.

The word comes from the Latin 'secretarius', meaning a person entrusted with secrets. Historically a secretary was a confidant who dealt with private and confidential correspondence for a powerful person. That sense of handling sensitive information survives today, even though the role now centres on administration.