secretary
n. countablen. a person whose job is to help an office run smoothly. They usually answer phones, organize meetings, and write letters for their boss.
n. an administrative assistant responsible for handling correspondence, managing schedules, and performing clerical tasks. In a governmental context, it refers to a high-ranking official in charge of a department.
The secretary answers the phone and takes messages.
The school secretary handles all the paperwork for new students and organizes the principal's calendar.
While the role was once strictly clerical, a modern secretary often manages complex digital workflows and serves as the primary point of contact for an entire department.
From Medieval Latin secrētārius (“one entrusted with secrets”), from Latin secrētus (“private, secret”), past participle of secernere (“to separate, set apart”), from se- (“apart”) + cernere (“to separate”).
Commonly used for office workers, but also used as a formal title for government ministers (e.g., Secretary of State).