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Glite Dictionary
Secretary of Labor

Secretary of Labor

10 4.0
The official who leads the United States Department of Labor and advises the president
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri əv ˈleɪbər/
  • Formal
translation icon : secretario de trabajo (EE. UU.)
  • Andrew Puzder, a fast-food CEO and President Trump's first nominee for Secretary of Labor, made the point in more colloquial terms: "If you're making labor more expensive, and automation less expensive -- this is not rocket science."
  • Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins
  • U.S. Secretary of Labor
  • Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins

Now, he said that he became secretary of Labor under Trump.

Examples

  • In 1945, the General Conference issued a new letter addressed to both labor leaders and the U.S. Secretary of Labor.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Robert Reich served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Labor under President William Jefferson Clinton from 1992 to 1997.

    Blog text (5)

  • Now, he said that he became secretary of Labor under Trump.

    Shawn Ryan Show

  • Does anyone here really think that any secretary of Labor, any secretary of education is going to make decisions by himself or herself?

  • We have invited a number of people, including the Secretary of Labor, Mr. Reich, to this model plant.

    Academic text (1996)

  • So the Secretary of Labor of the United States and the Secretary of Labor of Mexico held consultations on the question.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Another prominent individual who attacked silicosis in movies was Frances Perkins, the Secretary of Labor.

    Academic text (2015)

  • The committee was chaired by Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor, and included Federal Emergency Relief Administrator Harry Hopkins.

    Academic text (2007)

  • During the 1930s, the Committee on Economic Health Security, led by Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, proposed national health insurance (Wencour & Reisch, 1989).

    Academic text (1997)

  • The President announced that the new Secretary of Labor will focus on improving workers' rights.

Synonyms

Labor Secretary
vsSecretary of Labor
  • Formal
11 3.5

A government official who leads the department that deals with jobs and work rules

is specific to the United States and serves as a presidential cabinet member

Surface Forms

Secretary of Labor singular
Secretaries of Labor plural

Morphology

secretary + of + Labor

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from the parts: 'secretary' (an official head) + 'of' (indicating association) + 'Labor' (the government department dealing with workers), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer this is the official who leads the Department of Labor. This pattern (X of Y as a government title) is cross-linguistically common and the capitalization further signals an official title, making it immediately comprehensible to B1 learners.

Etymology

Secretary of Labor comes from two parts: secretary, once a trusted person who kept a leader's important papers and handled official work, and Labor, meaning work and workers. Imagine that trusted person looking after jobs and worker problems and advising the president — so the Secretary of Labor today 'leads the Department of Labor' and speaks for workers in the president's cabinet.