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Glite Dictionary
Commerce Secretary

Commerce Secretary

13 4.2
A government official who leads the United States Department of Commerce
  • noun
  • /ˈkɒmɜrs ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri/
  • US
translation icon : secretario de Comercio (EE. UU.)
  • During the conference, the Commerce Secretary emphasized the importance of economic growth in the region.
  • U.S. Commerce Secretary
  • former Commerce Secretary

Examples

  • But members of Congress launched a letter-writing campaign urging Sprint not to include Huawei, and the then-Commerce Secretary (current China Ambassador) Gary Locke called the Sprint CEO to convey his "very deep concerns" about the company and national security.

    Blog text (8)

  • "The Chinese are looking for a beachhead in the United States," said Idaho Commerce Secretary Don Dietrich.

    Blog text (19)

  • "The travel data released today indicate that the second quarter of 2012 set a new record for travel and tourism exports," said Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank.

    Blog text (26)

  • He eventually left to become Commerce Secretary, and then-Senator Truman joined the Roosevelt ticket in '44.

    Blog text (25)

  • In August 1995, Commerce Secretary Ronald Brown led a presidential trade mission to the PRC that generated some $6 billion in contracts for U.S. firms and a commitment from Beijing to allow U.S. participation in PRC infrastructure projects worth $250 million.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Scott said in a letter dated Wednesday to Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank that the outlook for the winter harvesting season is "poor" and that Franklin County officials estimate the down year will affect 2,500 jobs, including oystermen, processors, and other related jobs.

    Blog text (22)

  • "Today's announcement is an example of the Obama administration's commitment to ensuring that our brave first responders have the modern communications capabilities they need to be safe while protecting our communities," said Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank.

    Blog text (26)

  • At the urging of Commerce Secretary Robert Mosbacher, the president invited a planeload of businessmen to join him, including the chairmen of the Big Three auto companies, who have increasingly drifted toward trade protectionism in recent years.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced new initiatives to boost small businesses in the U.S.

  • Commerce Secretary visited local businesses to discuss the impact of new trade policies.

Synonyms

Secretary of Commerce
vsCommerce Secretary
  • Formal
71 4.6

A government official who leads the United States department that promotes trade and industry

has identical role and meaning but uses a slightly different phrasing

Surface Forms

Commerce Secretary singular
Commerce Secretaries plural

Morphology

Commerce + secretary

The meaning 'the government official who heads the Department of Commerce' is directly and compositionally derived from 'commerce' (trade) + 'secretary' (a senior official heading a ministry). This title pattern (X Secretary = official in charge of X) is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Commerce Secretary comes from two words: commerce, meaning 'trade' or 'business', and secretary, once a trusted person who kept a leader's papers and letters. Because a secretary managed important business for leaders, a Commerce Secretary today is the senior government official who runs the department in charge of trade and business.