— secretaryship , n.
/sek"ri ter'ee/ , n. , pl. secretaries .
1. a person, usually an official, who is in charge of the records, correspondence, minutes of meetings, and related affairs of an organization, company, association, etc.: the secretary of the Linguistic Society of America.
2. a person employed to handle correspondence and do routine work in a business office, usually involving taking dictation, typing, filing, and the like.
3. See private secretary .
4. ( often cap. ) an officer of state charged with the superintendence and management of a particular department of government, as a member of the president's cabinet in the U.S.: Secretary of the Treasury.
5. Also called diplomatic secretary . a diplomatic official of an embassy or legation who ranks below a counselor and is usually assigned as first secretary, second secretary, or third secretary.
6. a piece of furniture for use as a writing desk.
7. Also called secretary bookcase . a desk with bookshelves on top of it.
[ 1350-1400; ME secretarie one trusted with private or secret matters; confidant secretarius secret ( um ) SECRET (n.) + -arius -ARY ]