secretary-general
noun
sec·re·tary-gen·er·al
ˈse-krə-ˌter-ē-ˈjen-rəl 
-ˈje-nə-rəl
plural secretaries-general
: a principal administrative officer
secretary-general of the United Nations
Examples of secretary-general in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The secretary-general called for reaffirming the two-state solution.
—
Jon Haworth, ABC News, 5 Feb. 2025
His latest order directed the secretary of state to inform the secretary-general of the United States and World Health Organization leadership of the U.S. decision to withdraw from the group.
Project 2025, too, criticized the World Health Organization of its handling of the pandemic.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2025
Emphasizing the economic argument for helping Ukraine, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the secretary-general said that if Ukraine lost the war, the cost of restoring NATO's deterrence could cost trillions of dollars.
—Brendan Cole, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
Now Albert Ramdin, who left the Organization of American States after two terms as assistant secretary general a decade ago, is looking to return — this time as its top figure, secretary-general.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for secretary-general 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jon Haworth, ABC News, 5 Feb. 2025
His latest order directed the secretary of state to inform the secretary-general of the United States and World Health Organization leadership of the U.S. decision to withdraw from the group.
Project 2025, too, criticized the World Health Organization of its handling of the pandemic.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2025
Emphasizing the economic argument for helping Ukraine, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the secretary-general said that if Ukraine lost the war, the cost of restoring NATO's deterrence could cost trillions of dollars.
—Brendan Cole, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
Now Albert Ramdin, who left the Organization of American States after two terms as assistant secretary general a decade ago, is looking to return — this time as its top figure, secretary-general.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for secretary-general
Dictionary Entries Near secretary-general
Cite this Entry
“Secretary-general.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secretary-general. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share