secretariat
gb/sˌɛkɹɪtˈɛɹiət/ us/sˌɛkɹɪtˈɛɹiət/
B2
English
~ 9400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
formal
B2
entity
1
central administrative office
The main office that does the daily work and organization for a group, such as a party, union, or international body.
Usage pattern:
the secretariat of [an organization]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse “secretariat” with “secretary.” A “secretary” is a person, while a “secretariat” is an office or department. Also, learners sometimes use it for small companies where “office” or “administration” would be more natural in everyday English.
Synonyms
administration (General term for the managing office of an organization; broader and less specific than ‘secretariat’.)
|
head office (Stresses the main physical office; common in business rather than political or international bodies.)
|
secretary’s office (Focuses on the office serving a specific secretary; usually smaller in scope than a full secretariat.)
Antonyms
field office (A local or regional office, contrasting with the central administrative secretariat.)
Collocations
UN Secretariat
|party secretariat
|central secretariat
|national secretariat
|the secretariat of [the organization]
Themes
politics
|business
|government
|organizations
|work
Examples
- The UN Secretariat is responsible for carrying out the organization’s day-to-day work.
- The party’s secretariat is located in the capital and coordinates activities nationwide.
- All visa applications must be submitted to the secretariat of the Ministry of Education.
- The conference will be organized by the secretariat of the regional council.
- Budget documents are stored in the secretariat on the fourth floor of the main building.
Learner examples
- The union’s secretariat is in the city center.
- Please send your letter to the secretariat of the school.
- The secretariat of the club keeps all the papers.
- Our meeting will be at the secretariat tomorrow.
- She works in the secretariat of a large international group.
Noun
formal
B2
entity
2
group of administrative staff
The team of people who do the main office and management work for a group or organization.
Usage pattern:
the secretariat [does/prepares/coordinates] [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat “secretariat” as a single person, saying things like “the secretariat is a good leader.” In this sense, it refers to a group of staff, not to one individual. For a single person, “secretary” or the person’s title (e.g., “general secretary”) is used instead.
Synonyms
management (Broad term for the group that runs an organization; less specifically administrative and more leadership-focused than ‘secretariat’.)
|
administrative staff (Describes the function of the group clearly but is a more general, descriptive term than the set phrase ‘secretariat’.)
|
executive committee (Usually higher-level decision-makers; overlaps when a secretariat has significant decision-making power.)
Antonyms
rank and file (Refers to ordinary members or workers, contrasting with the central administrative group, the secretariat.)
Collocations
the secretariat prepared
|secretariat staff
|headed the secretariat
|members of the secretariat
|secretariat officials
Themes
politics
|organizations
|government
|work
|business
Examples
- The secretariat drafted the final version of the agreement before it was presented to the delegates.
- After hours of discussion, the secretariat decided to postpone the vote.
- The report was prepared by the party’s secretariat and released to the media.
- New members were appointed to the secretariat to improve coordination between departments.
- The secretariat will coordinate all communication with the member states.
Learner examples
- The secretariat wrote the first draft of the plan.
- Our secretariat answers emails from all members.
- The secretariat meets every Monday to plan the week.
- The new leader wants a smaller secretariat.
- The secretariat will send you the final document.
Grammar
Dictionary form
secretariat
IPA
GB/sˌɛkɹɪtˈɛɹiət/
US/sˌɛkɹɪtˈɛɹiət/
Syllables & stress
sec - ret - ari - at (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ari)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: secretariat
- Plural: secretariats
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.