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Definition of "secretariat" [sec•re•ta•ri•at]

  • The department administered by a governmental secretary, especially for an international organization. (noun)
  • The office occupied by such a department. (noun)
  • The office or position of a governmental secretary. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "secretariat" in a sentence
  • "With a total budget less than 1% of the Department for International Development's, and fewer staff than Cornwall council's fire and rescue service, the secretariat is unlikely to find too many areas in which it will be uniquely placed to add real value."
  • "Of course giving more financial power to SecGen Kofi Annan (father of Kojo) may not be a particularly top-notch idea and shifting money management from the unaccountable General Assembly to an equally unaccountable but possibly more sensible professional secretariat is not going to change the culture of the UN one iota."
  • "The secretariat is working to ensure that the people who benefit from these jobs are those who truly need the opportunity."