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secretary

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The definition of a secretary is a person who does administrative work such as making appointments and sending letters, or is an official who is in charge of a government department.

(noun)

A person who answers your phone and makes copies for you at your job is an example of your secretary.
A person in a club who writes down the minutes of meetings and who sends out letters to club members is an example of a secretary.
The person in charge of the U.S. Treasury Department, the Secretary of the Treasury, is an exampleof a secretary.

See secretary in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun pl. secretaries

1. a person whose work is keeping records, taking care of correspondence and other writing tasks, etc. as for an individual in a business office
2. an officer of a company, club, etc. having somewhat similar functions
☆ an official in charge of a department of government
a writing desk, esp. one topped with a small bookcase

Origin: ML secretarius, one entrusted with secrets < L secretum: see secret

Related Forms:

secretarial adjective
secretaryship noun

See secretary in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. sec·re·tar·ies

A person employed to handle correspondence, keep files, and do clerical work for another person or an organization.
An officer who keeps records, takes minutes of the meetings, and answers correspondence, as for a company.
An official who presides over an administrative department of state.
A desk with a small bookcase on top.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English secretarie

Origin: , from Medieval Latin sēcrētārius, confidential officer, clerk

Origin: , from Latin sēcrētus, secret; see Secret

Related Forms: