How to pronounce secretary
American English pronunciation
SEK-ruh-tair-ee
- IPA
- /ˈsɛkɹəˌtɛɹi/
- Syllables
- SEK · ruh · tair · ee (4 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What secretary means
Most people know secretary in its everyday sense. Here's its other meaning.
A writing desk with shelves above
In a sentence: Grandma wrote her letters at the old wooden secretary in the hall, then closed its slanted lid.
Where it comes from: It comes from the Latin secretarius, someone trusted with secrets, from secretus, meaning private or set apart.
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