sec·re·tar·y

(sĕk′rĭ-tĕr′ē)

n. pl. sec·re·tar·ies

1. A person employed to handle correspondence, keep files, and do clerical work for another person or an organization.

2. An officer who keeps records, takes minutes of the meetings, and answers correspondence, as for a company.

3. An official who presides over an administrative department of state.

4. A desk with a small bookcase on top.

[Middle English secretarie, from Medieval Latin sēcrētārius, confidential officer, clerk, from Latin sēcrētus, secret; see secret.]

sec′re·tar′i·al (-târ′ē-əl) adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

secretary

(ˈsɛkrətrɪ; -ərɪ)

n, pl -taries

1. (Professions) 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. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (in Britain) a senior civil servant who assists a government minister

4. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (in the US and New Zealand) the head of a government administrative department

5. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (in Britain) See secretary of state¹

6. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (in Australia) the head of a public service department

7. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) diplomacy the assistant to an ambassador or diplomatic minister of certain countries

8. (Furniture) another name for secretaire

[C14: from Medieval Latin sēcrētārius, from Latin sēcrētum something hidden; see secret]

secretarial adj

ˈsecretaryship n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sec•re•tar•y

(ˈsɛk rɪˌtɛr i)

n., pl. -tar•ies.

1. a person in charge of records, correspondence, and related affairs, as for a company.

2. a person employed to do routine work in a business office, as typing, filing, and answering phones.

3. a person employed to attend to the individual or confidential correspondence, scheduling, etc. of an executive, celebrity, or the like.

4. (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. a diplomatic official who assists an ambassador or minister.

6. a piece of furniture for use as a writing desk, esp. one with drawers below and a cabinet or bookshelves above an often enclosed writing surface.

[1350–1400; Middle English secretarie one trusted with private or secret matters, confidant < Medieval Latin sēcrētārius= Latin sēcrēt(um) secret (n.) + -ārius -ary]

sec′re•tar`y•ship`, n.

secretary

- Comes from Latin, meaning "confidential officer," and first denoted a person, such as a confidant, entrusted with private or secret matters; it should be pronounced SEK-ruh-tair-ee.

See also related terms for private.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	secretary - a person who is head of an administrative department of government chief, top dog, head - a person who is in charge; "the head of the whole operation" United States Attorney General, US Attorney General, Attorney General - the person who holds the position of secretary of the Justice Department; "Edmund Randolph was the first Attorney General, appointed by President Washington" Agriculture Secretary, Secretary of Agriculture - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Agriculture; "the first Secretary of Agriculture was Norman J. Colman, who was appointed by Cleveland" Commerce Secretary, Secretary of Commerce - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Commerce; "the first Commerce Secretary was William C. Redfield who was appointed by Wilson" Defense Secretary, Secretary of Defense - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Defense Department; "the first Defense Secretary was James V. Forrestal who was appointed by Truman" Education Secretary, Secretary of Education - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Education; "Carter appointed Shirley Hufstedler as the first Secretary of Education" Energy Secretary, Secretary of Energy - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Energy; "the first Secretary of Energy was James R. Schlesinger who was appointed by Carter" Secretary of Health and Human Services - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Health and Human Services; "the first Secretary of Health and Human Services was Patricia Roberts Harris who was appointed by Carter" Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Housing and Urban Development; "the first Secretary of Housing and Urban Development was Robert C. Weaver who was appointed by Johnson" Labor Secretary, Secretary of Labor - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Labor; "the first Labor Secretary was William B. Wilson who was appointed by President Wilson" Secretary of State - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of State; "the first Secretary of State was Thomas Jefferson" Interior Secretary, Secretary of the Interior - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Interior Department; "President Taylor appointed Thomas Ewing as the first Secretary of the Interior" Secretary of the Treasury, Treasury Secretary - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Treasury Department; "Alexander Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury" Secretary of Transportation, Transportation Secretary - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Transportation; "Johnson appointed Alan S. Boyd as the first Transportation Secretary" Secretary of Veterans Affairs - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Veterans Affairs; "Bush appointed Edward J. Derwinski as the first Secretary of Veterans Affairs" undersecretary - a secretary immediately subordinate to the head of a department of government
	2.	secretary - an assistant who handles correspondence and clerical work for a boss or an organization secretarial assistant assistant, helper, help, supporter - a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose; "my invaluable assistant"; "they hired additional help to finish the work" executive secretary - a secretary having administrative duties and responsibilities receptionist - a secretary whose main duty is to answer the telephone and receive visitors social secretary - a personal secretary who handles your social correspondence and appointments amanuensis, shorthand typist, stenographer - someone skilled in the transcription of speech (especially dictation)
	3.	secretary - a person to whom a secret is entrusted repository confidant, intimate - someone to whom private matters are confided
	4.	secretary - a desk used for writing escritoire, secretaire, writing table desk - a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

Translations

سِكْرِتيرسِكْرِتير أو سِكْرِتيرَه، أمين سِر

sekretářkatajemník-kasekretář

sekretær

Sekretär Geschäftsführer MinisterSchreibsekretär

γραμματέας ιδιαίτερος σεκρετέρ

sekretario

secretario ministro secretaria serpentario

sihteerikirjoituspöytäministeri

secrétairemessager serpentaire

tajnicatajnik

titkártitkárnőállamtitkárfőtitkárkígyászkeselyű

ritari

segretario segretaria segretariato di segreteria direttore generale

秘書

비서

sekretāresekretārs

secretaresse

sekretær

sekretarz

secretário escrivaninha secretária

секретарь

sekretárka

ministertajnicatajnik

sekreterare

เลขานุการ

sekreter

thư ký

秘书干事

secretary

[ˈsekrətrɪ]

A. N

1. (= profession) → secretario/a m/f

2. (Pol) → ministro/a m/f
Secretary of State (Brit) → Ministro/a m/f (for de) (US) → Ministro/a m/f de Asuntos Exteriores

B. CPD secretary pool N (US) → servicio m de mecanógrafos

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

secretary

[ˈsɛkrətəri] n

(in office) → secrétaire mf
She's a secretary → Elle est secrétaire.

[club, society, trade union] → secrétaire mf

(POLITICS) (also Secretary) → ministre m
the British Foreign Secretary → le ministre britannique des affaires étrangères(la)
the Defense Secretary (US) → le ministre de la défense(la)secretary-general [ˌˈsɛkrətəriˈdʒɛn^ərəl] n → secrétaire mf général(e)Secretary of State n

(British) → ministre mf
the Secretary of State for Education → le ministre de l'éducation(la)

(US) → ministre mf des Affaires étrangères

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

secretary

→ Sekretär(in) m(f); (of society) → Schriftführer(in) m(f); (esp US Pol: = minister) → Minister(in) m(f); secretary to the board → Schriftführer(in) m(f)

(= desk) = secretaire

secretary

secretary bird

n → Sekretär m

secretary-general

n pl <secretaries-general, secretary-generals> → Generalsekretär(in) m(f)

Secretary of State

n (Brit) → Minister(in) m(f); (US) → Außenminister(in) m(f)

secretaryship

n (= office) → Amt nt → des Schriftführers; (= period) → Zeit f → als Schriftführer

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

secretary

[ˈsɛkrətrɪ] n → segretario/a

secretary

(ˈsekrətəri) – plural ˈsecretaries – noun

1. a person employed to write letters, keep records and make business arrangements etc for another person. He dictated a letter to his secretary.

2. a (sometimes unpaid) person who deals with the official business of an organization etc. The secretary read out the minutes of the society's last meeting.

ˌsecreˈtarial (-ˈteə-) adjective

of a secretary or his/her duties. trained in secretarial work; at secretarial college.

secretary

→ سِكْرِتير sekretářka sekretær Sekretär γραμματέας secretario sihteeri secrétaire tajnica segretario 秘書 비서 secretaresse sekretær sekretarz secretário секретарь sekreterare เลขานุการ sekreter thư ký 秘书

May I leave a message with his secretary? (US)
Can I leave a message with his secretary? (UK) → 我能给他的秘书留言吗？

secretary

n (pl -ries) secretario -ria mf

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

The Secretary lost no time in getting to work, and his vigilance and method soon set their mark on the Golden Dustman's affairs.

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The Duke paused, in his way across the crowded reception rooms, to speak to his host, Sir Edward Bransome, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

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In less than an hour's time, supper had been served, and ate, and cleared away; and Lord George and his secretary, with slippered feet, and legs stretched out before the fire, sat over some hot mulled wine together.

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"Upon this incident, Reldresal, principal secretary for private affairs, who always approved himself your true friend, was commanded by the emperor to deliver his opinion, which he accordingly did; and therein justified the good thoughts you have of him.

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I knew a counsellor and secretary, that never came to Queen Elizabeth of England, with bills to sign, but he would always first put her into some discourse of estate, that she mought the less mind the bills.

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His companions were his sallow little Yankee secretary, whose name I really forget, but whom I met with Maguire at the Boxing Club, and a very grand person in a second skin of shimmering sequins.

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Tyler's assistant secretary, who had been left at home, assured me that there was no doubt but that the Toreador had sailed as promised, since he knew his employer well enough to be positive that nothing short of an act of God would prevent his doing what he had planned to do.

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Some minutes later a fourfold telegram was sent out--the first to the Naval Secretary at Washington; the second to the vice-president of the Gun Club, Baltimore; the third to the Hon.

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Next morning, Tuesday, Alexey Alexandrovitch, on waking up, recollected with pleasure his triumph of the previous day, and he could not help smiling, though he tried to appear indifferent, when the chief secretary of his department, anxious to flatter him, informed him of the rumors that had reached him concerning what had happened in the Commission.

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Sancho handed it to the majordomo and bade him read the superscription, which ran thus: To Don Sancho Panza, Governor of the Island of Barataria, into his own hands or those of his secretary. Sancho when he heard this said, "Which of you is my secretary?" "I am, senor," said one of those present, "for I can read and write, and am a Biscayan." "With that addition," said Sancho, "you might be secretary to the emperor himself; open this paper and see what it says." The new-born secretary obeyed, and having read the contents said the matter was one to be discussed in private.

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Next day he went to the secretary's office to put his name down for one of the hospital appointments.

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As Peter Winn's secretary it was his task to weed out, sort, and classify his employer's mail.

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