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Synonyms

secretary of state

American  
Or Secretary of State

noun

  1. the head and chief administrator of the U.S. Department of State.

  2. British. any of several ministers in the British government.

    A new secretary of state for the Home Department has been appointed.

  3. (in the U.S.) the appointed or elected official in a state government whose chief function is to distribute statutes, administer elections, keep archives, etc.

secretary of state British  

noun

  1. (in Britain) the head of any of several government departments

  2. (in the US) the head of the government department in charge of foreign affairs ( State Department )

  3. (in certain US states) an official with various duties, such as keeping records

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
secretary of state Cultural  

  1. The head of the United States Department of State and, as leading member of the cabinet, fourth in line of succession to the presidency. The secretary of state is charged with formulating American foreign policy and conducting relations with other nations.

Etymology

Origin of secretary of state

First recorded in 1610–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The only glitch in the matrix: Rubio was not planning to bring any reporters on his plane, in a rare break with decades of precedent for US secretaries of state.

From Barron's

Chris McGinn, executive director of the Texas Association of County Election Officials, said many clerks expressed frustration with the secretary of state’s lack of guidance and failure to help with investigations.

From Salon

The former Democratic secretary of state and presidential candidate recently agreed, along with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to testify to the House Oversight Committee.

From BBC

This would give the government greater powers to oversee acquisitions and mergers, with the secretary of state able to intervene if a deal threatens the public interest.

From BBC

“We are aware that China conducted a nuclear explosive test,” said Christopher Yeaw, an assistant secretary of state.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.