English Explanatory Dictionary

secretary

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A person who keeps records, takes notes and handles general clerical work.
  2. The head of a department of government.
  3. A managerial or leading position in certain non-profit organizations, such as political parties, trade unions, international organizations.
  4. A type of desk, secretary desk; a secretaire.
  5. A secretary bird, a bird of the species Sagittarius serpentarius.
  6. Someone entrusted with a secret; a confidant.
  7. Someone employed as a scribe for personal correspondence.
verb
  1. To serve as a secretary of.
name
  1. A town in Maryland.

Pronunciation

/ˈsɛk.ɹə.tə.ɹi/ /ˈsɛk.ɹə.tɹi/ sĕk'rətĕrē /ˈsɛk.(ɹ)əˌtɛɹ.i/ [ˈsɛk.(ɹ)əˌtʰɛɹ.i] en-us-secretary.ogg

Word forms

secretary secretaries secretarie secretarying secretaried

Etymology

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”).

Synonyms

administrator assistant administrative assistant amanuensis clerk scribe scrivener seneschal

Related words

secret secretion secretive secretory secretariat stenographer tabellion

Derived words

class secretary foreign secretary general secretary Home Secretary nonsecretary press secretary secretarial secretary bird secretary desk secretaryess Secretary General secretary hand secretaryless secretarylike secretary problem secretaryship secretary spread social secretary subsecretary undersecretary
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