Secretary

UK: 'secretary', 'Secretary': /ˈsɛkrət^əri/

US: /ˈsɛkrɪˌtɛri/

US: (sek′ri ter′ē)

Inflections of 'secretary' (n): npl: secretaries

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sec•re•tar•y /ˈsɛkrɪˌtɛri/   n. [countable] , pl. -tar•ies. 

1. one whose job is to do work in a business office, such as typing, filing, and answering phones.
2. one whose job is to take care of private or individual letters, files, etc., of a business executive, official, etc.:
   Her private secretary sent out the letters and arranged her meetings.
3. a person in charge of records, letters, etc., as for a company, club, etc.:
   The job of department secretary meant typing up the minutes of every meeting.
4. Government an officer of a government whose job is the management of a department of government:
   [often: Secretary] the Secretary of the Treasury.
5. Government a diplomatic official who assists an ambassador.
6. Furniture a piece of furniture for use as a writing desk.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sec•re•tar•y  (sek′ri ter′ē), n., pl. -tar•ies. 

1. a person, usually an official, who is in charge of the records, correspondence, minutes of meetings, and related affairs of an organization, company, association, etc.:
   the secretary of the Linguistic Society of America.
2. a person employed to handle correspondence and do routine work in a business office, usually involving taking dictation, typing, filing, and the like.
3. See private secretary. 
4. Government (often cap.) an officer of state charged with the superintendence and management of a particular department of government, as a member of the president's cabinet in the U.S.:
   Secretary of the Treasury.
5. Government Also called diplomatic secretary. a diplomatic official of an embassy or legation who ranks below a counselor and is usually assigned as first secretary, second secretary, or third secretary.
6. Furniture a piece of furniture for use as a writing desk.
7. Furniture Also called sec′retary book′case. a desk with bookshelves on top of it.

• Latin sēcrēt(um) secret (noun, nominal) + -ārius -ary
• Medieval Latin sēcrētārius
• 1350–1400; Middle English secretarie one trusted with private or secret matters; confidant

sec′re•tar′y•ship′, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

secretary / ˈsɛkrətrɪ -ərɪ/ noun ( -taries)

1. a person who handles correspondence, keeps records, and does general clerical work for an individual, organization, etc
2. the official manager of the day-to-day business of a society or board
3. (in Britain) a senior civil servant who assists a government minister
4. (in the US and New Zealand) the head of a government administrative department
5. (in Britain) See secretary of state1
6. another name for secretaire

Etymology: 14th Century: from Medieval Latin sēcrētārius, from Latin sēcrētum something hidden; see secret

secretarial / ˌsɛkrɪˈtɛərɪəl/ adjective

ˈsecretaryship noun