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Glite Dictionary
secretariat

secretariat

9 6.8
An office that manages records, letters, and emails for a large organization
  • noun
  • /ˌsɛkrəˈtɛrɪət/
  • Formal
: secretaría
  • Each member of the secretariat is responsible for tracking important documents and meeting minutes.
  • GATT secretariat
  • international secretariat
  • small secretariat

So it was the independent financing and structure of my secretariat and the people I chose to be my commissioners.

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Examples

  • I expected, too, a rather elaborate secretariat, with maps of Argentina and the latest in communications equipment.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Its work was assisted by a small secretariat under William Rappard, head of the Mandates Section of the Secretariat.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Then he went to the secretariat for a short discussion.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • So it was the independent financing and structure of my secretariat and the people I chose to be my commissioners.

    Harvard University

  • For example, the ICM Policy Group initially was supported by a small secretariat.

    Academic text (1991)

  • A few members of the UNCED secretariat will remain in their positions to prepare these reports.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The administrative hub of the AEC is the General Secretariat, which is also the secretariat of the OAU.

    Academic text (1995)

  • We were advised of the many advantages to the Secretariat and to the observers of arranging accommodations at the same hotel.

    Academic text (2013)

  • The TECCONILE's secretariat at Entebbe, Uganda, became operational on 1 January 1993.

    Academic text (2008)

  • The secretariat manages all correspondence and records for the international organization.

Synonyms

secretariate
vssecretariat
  • Formal
1 8.6

An office that keeps records and does everyday office tasks for an organization

is the same meaning but spelled differently in certain usages

Compounds

United Nations Secretariat
1 3.9

The office that does the daily work of the United Nations

Surface Forms

secretariat singular
secretariats plural

Morphology

secretariat = secretary (transparent) = secretary + at

Formed from 'secretary' with the suffix '-at' (orthographic y→i change) meaning 'office or body of secretaries', so the semantic relation is clear.

Etymology

Secretariat is related to secret and secretary, coming from an old Latin word meaning 'kept private'. It originally named the office of people who handled private papers and messages, which is why today a secretariat is the administrative office that manages records and correspondence.