secretariat

secretariat — noun

1. the group of staff who run the daily business and keep the records of a large or

1.nounB2
Definition

the group of staff who run the daily business and keep the records of a large organization, typically a political or international one such as the United Nations

Example

The UN Secretariat prepared the agenda for Monday's Security Council meeting.

the [organization] Secretariat (proper noun form)

Jisoo joined the ASEAN Secretariat in 2022 and now helps coordinate policy meetings between member states.

joined + [Name] Secretariat (employment context); coordinate + policy meetings (function)

Common collocations
  • UN Secretariat
  • secretariat staff
  • head of the secretariat
  • set up a secretariat
  • serve on the secretariat
Synonyms
  • administration

    broader in scope, includes executive decision-making beyond clerical and record-keeping tasks

  • administrative office

    more general term; does not specifically imply an international or political body

  • bureau

    can refer to a subdivision of a larger organization but often suggests a narrower function than a full secretariat

Grammar Patterns

the + [name] + Secretariat

secretariat + of + organization

Usage Note

Usually capitalized as 'Secretariat' when referring to a specific body (e.g. the UN Secretariat). The word belongs to the context of large international or governmental organizations and is rarely used for small businesses or individual clerical staff.

Common Mistakes

I left the documents on the secretariat's desk.
I left the documents on the secretary's desk.
'secretariat' refers to a whole department or body, not one person's workspace.
Our company's secretariat has three employees.
Our company's administrative office has three employees.
'secretariat' sounds too formal for most private companies and is mainly used for international organizations.

Word family

  • secretary
    nounA2
  • secretarial
    adjectiveB2
  • secretary-general
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A secretariat is a specific type of administrative body, most often associated with international or large political organizations such as the United Nations or the European Commission. It handles record-keeping, correspondence, scheduling, and the logistics that keep the organization running. An 'administration' is a broader term that includes executive decision-making and policy implementation, not just operational support. A 'bureau' often refers to a subdivision within a larger agency and may have a narrower remit. A 'department' is a generic unit in a company or government and does not carry the connotation of serving an international body. An 'office' is the most general term and can be as small as a single room. For example: 'The UN Secretariat issued a statement' (formal, specific body) versus 'The administration decided on new policies' (executive leadership).

administration ↗bureau ↗department ↗office ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the + [name] + Secretariat
  • head of the secretariat
  • serve on the secretariat
  • set up a secretariat

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Secretariat entered English in the early 1800s from French 'secrétariat', which came from Medieval Latin 'secretariatus' meaning 'the office of a secretary'. The Latin root 'secretarius' originally referred to a confidential officer or trusted scribe — someone entrusted with secrets. Over time the meaning shifted from an individual's role to the institutional office or department that person leads.