English Reference
Adjective

secretarial

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˌsɛkɹəˈtɛɹiəɫ/ UK /sˌɛkɹɪtˈeəɹɪəl/ sec·re·tar·i·al

adj.relating to the work of a secretary, such as typing, filing, or answering phones.

adj.relating to the duties or work of a secretary, including administrative and clerical tasks.


SIMPLE

She has a degree in secretarial studies.

CONTEXTUAL

The company is looking for someone with secretarial experience to manage the office calendar and handle incoming calls.

COMPLEX

While the role has evolved from traditional secretarial duties to include digital project management, the core requirement remains a high level of administrative proficiency and discretion.


From a Latin-type formation *sēcrētāriālis, from Medieval Latin sēcrētārius + Latin -ālis. By surface analysis, secretary + -al.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin -ālis
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated