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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

secretary

/ˈsɛk.(ɹ)əˌtɛɹ.i/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:57
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What does secretary mean?

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.
More meanings (6)

noun

  1. A type of desk, secretary desk; a secretaire.
  2. A secretary bird, a bird of the species Sagittarius serpentarius.
  3. (obsolete) Someone entrusted with a secret; a confidant.
  4. (obsolete) Someone employed as a scribe for personal correspondence.

verb

  1. To serve as a secretary of.

proper noun

  1. A town in Maryland.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈsɛk.(ɹ)əˌtɛɹ.i/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

Help was brought, tackle was let down, and they hoisted up, not without some trouble, the imprudent secretary of the Gun Club.
Jules VerneFrom the Earth to the moon; and, round the moonProject Gutenberg ebook #83
She's to be here four or five days a week as temporary secretary, and somehow I must manage to keep her permanently.
Jean WebsterDear EnemyProject Gutenberg ebook #238
More book examples (3)
I asked the secretary how Lady Hester was off for horses, and said that I would take a look at the stable.
Alexander William KinglakeEothen; Or, Traces of Travel Brought Home from the EastProject Gutenberg ebook #282
To this she gives all her time, aided by an executive secretary who takes charge of the routine work of the association.
Anna Howard Shaw; Elizabeth Garver JordanThe Story of a PioneerProject Gutenberg ebook #354
A business man, for instance, can dictate his letters or instructions into it, and they can be copied out by his secretary.
John MunroHeroes of the TelegraphProject Gutenberg ebook #979