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secretary

Syllabification: (sec·re·tar·y)
Pronunciation: /ˈsekriˌterē/

Translate secretary | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of secretary

noun (plural secretaries)

  • a person employed by an individual or in an office to assist with correspondence, keep records, make appointments, and carry out similar tasks.
  • an official of a society or other organization who conducts its correspondence and keeps its records.
  • an official in charge of a government department: [as title]:Secretary of the Treasury
  • a writing desk with shelves on top of it.

Derivatives

secretarial

Pronunciation: /-ˈte(ə)rēəl/

adjective

secretaryship

Pronunciation: /-ˌSHip/

noun

Origin:

late Middle English (originally in the sense 'person entrusted with a secret'): from late Latin secretarius 'confidential officer', from Latin secretum 'secret', neuter of secretus (see secret)

Spell secretary with an e after the r; the ending is -ary.

secretary in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of secretary in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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