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secretary

n.
US //ˈsɛkɹəˌtɛɹi// UK //sˈɛkɹətɹˌi// sec·re·tary
  1. 1 office assistant (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a person who works in an office, answers phones, and organizes meetings.

    an employee who performs clerical and administrative tasks, such as managing correspondence and scheduling appointments.

    Example

    The school secretary helped the new student find her classroom.

    Example

    The legal secretary spent the afternoon drafting contracts and coordinating the senior partner's travel arrangements for the upcoming conference.
  2. 2 government official (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Law

    a very senior official who is the head of a government department.

    the head of a major government department or ministry, often reporting directly to a president or prime minister.

    Example

    The Secretary of State met with leaders from other countries.

    Example

    The newly appointed Education Secretary announced a series of reforms aimed at improving literacy rates in rural primary schools.
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  1. 3 organizational leader (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a person in charge of the daily business of a club or organization.

    an official in a non-profit organization, trade union, or political party responsible for administrative leadership.

    Example

    He was elected as the secretary of the local tennis club.

    Example

    As the general secretary of the trade union, she was responsible for leading the negotiations during the industrial dispute.
  2. 4 a type of desk (n.)
    C1 Advanced American English

    a tall piece of furniture used for writing that often has a folding top.

    a writing desk with a top section for books and a hinged surface that folds down for writing.

    Example

    She kept her old letters in the drawers of the antique secretary.

    Example

    The mahogany secretary stood in the corner of the library, its intricate carvings reflecting the craftsmanship of the eighteenth century.
    • secretaire
    • writing desk
Origin

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”).

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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