What does "secretary" mean?
A person who keeps records, takes notes and handles general clerical work.
Secretary
/ˈsɛk.(ɹ)əˌtɛɹ.i/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who keeps records, takes notes and handles general clerical work.
- Grammar: secretary is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: administrative assistant, accountant, adjutant, administration.
- Useful contrasts: secretary elected, undersecretary.
- Usage evidence: The records of our discussions are kept by the secretary.
How to use "secretary"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "secretary" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "secretary" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "secretary" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "secretary" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "secretary" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "administrative assistant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "secretary", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who keeps records, takes notes and handles general clerical work.
"I have a personal secretary to help me organize my clients."
- 2 a desk used for writing wordnet
- 3 The head of a department of government. capitalized, often
"Well briefly, sir, I am the Permanent Under Secretary of State, known as the Permanent Secretary."
- 4 a person to whom a secret is entrusted wordnet
- 5 A managerial or leading position in certain non-profit organizations, such as political parties, trade unions, international organizations.
"Ban Ki-Moon was a secretary general of the United Nations."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 an assistant who handles correspondence and clerical work for a boss or an organization wordnet
- 7 A type of desk, secretary desk; a secretaire. US
- 8 a person who is head of an administrative department of government wordnet
- 9 A secretary bird, a bird of the species Sagittarius serpentarius.
- 10 Someone entrusted with a secret; a confidant. obsolete
- 11 Someone employed as a scribe for personal correspondence. obsolete
""Do not give yourself any uneasiness about one so utterly unworthy of a thought! Sir George Kingston is without one grain of either honour or real feeling! The fact is, I have, for some months past, been his secretary, and wrote for him the letters which were sent you!""
Verb
- 1 To serve as a secretary of. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A town in Maryland.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
secretary electedundersecretary
Example
"The records of our discussions are kept by the secretary."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "secretary"?
Common synonyms include: administrative assistant, accountant, adjutant, administration, administrator, agent.
How do you use "secretary" in a sentence?
The records of our discussions are kept by the secretary.
How do you pronounce "secretary"?
Pronounced /ˈsɛk.(ɹ)əˌtɛɹ.i/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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”).
Etymology 2
Named by Lord Baltimore after his secretary.