: one employed to handle correspondence and manage routine and detail work for a superior
2
a
: an officer of a business concern who may keep records of directors' and stockholders' meetings and of stock ownership and transfer and help supervise the company's legal interests
b
: an officer of an organization or society responsible for its records and correspondence
3
: an officer of state who superintends a government administrative department
You can set up an appointment with my secretary.
He works as a legal secretary.
He was the club's secretary.
He is a junior secretary at the embassy.
Recent Examples on the WebEd Augustus, the state’s secretary of housing and livable communities, visited Martha’s Vineyard this month to hear directly from residents.—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 June 2024 Others ending their tenures included HBO’s Francesca Orsi (vice president), Disney Branded TV’s Charlie Andrews (secretary) and Exile Content’s Alejandro Uribe (treasurer).—Michael Schneider, Variety, 20 June 2024 From the day of death until the interment of an associate justice of the Supreme Court, a secretary of an executive or military department, a former vice president or the governor of a state.—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 20 June 2024 The Russian President also met with Nguyen Phu Trong, the general secretary of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, and laid a wreath at the memorial of former communist leader Ho Chi Minh.—Britt Clennett, ABC News, 20 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for secretary
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'secretary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English secretarie, from Medieval Latin secretarius, confidential employee, secretary, from Latin secretum secret, from neuter of secretus
: an officer of a business concern who may keep records of directors' and stockholders' meetings and of stock ownership and transfer and help supervise the company's interests
2
: a government officer who superintends an administrative department
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