/ ˌsekrəˈteəriət; -iæt; NAmE -ˈter-/ noun
the department of a large international or political organization which is responsible for running it, especially the office of a Secretary General
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WORD ORIGIN
early 19th cent.: from French secrétariat , from medieval Latin secretariatus , from secretarius confidential officer, from Latin secretum secret, neuter of secretus separate, set apart, from the verb secernere , from se- apart + cernere sift.