Word
secretariat
Phoneticssec·re·tar·iat
US/ˌsɛkɹɪˈtɛɹiət/
UK/sˌɛkɹɪtˈeəɹɪˌæt/
Definitions
01administrative department
n. the office or department that handles the daily administrative work and records for a large organization.
n. the administrative department of a large organization, such as the UN or a government, responsible for managing records and executive functions.
“The United Nations Secretariat is located in New York City.”
“The Secretariat issued a formal statement clarifying the new administrative procedures for international treaty submissions.”
Formal
Usage
Often used with a definite article when referring to a specific organization's department.
Teaching tip
Learners should distinguish this from a 'secretary' (a person); the secretariat is the entire office or collective staff.
Synonyms
02office of a secretary
n. the specific office or position of a government secretary.
n. the office, position, or department of a government secretary or high-ranking official.
“He was appointed to the secretariat of the interior last year.”
“During the reorganization, the secretariat of state was granted additional oversight regarding foreign trade agreements.”
Formal
Synonyms
03religious administration
n. a specific administrative department within the Roman Catholic Church.
n. a specific type of administrative department or dicastery within the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church.
“The Secretariat of State is the oldest department in the Roman Curia.”
“The Pope met with officials from the Secretariat to discuss the diplomatic mission to the region.”
Formal · Technical
Teaching tip
This is a highly specialized term used almost exclusively in the context of Vatican administration.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“But in a subsequent statement , Mexico’s Secretariat of the Interior, a federal agency, appeared to contradict some of Rocha’s remarks.” “And while Ebola is not a pandemic, the International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat has been tracking progress on that basis.” Scan code
englishreference.com/q/secretariat