under-secretary
Definition
Noun: - A subordinate official in a government department: An "under-secretary" is a high-ranking civil servant or official who acts as a deputy or assistant to a secretary or minister, often responsible for specific administrative or policy functions within a ministry or department.
Usage Examples
- (A deputy official in the foreign ministry provided information.)
- (She became a senior deputy managing educational policies.)
- (The deputy official communicated financial details to the top minister.)
Advanced Usage
- "Under-secretary of state": A specific title used in some governments (e.g., the United Kingdom) for a junior minister or senior civil servant in a government department.
- The Under-Secretary of State for Health presented the new healthcare bill to Parliament. (A junior minister in the health department introduced legislation.)
Variants and Related Words
- Secretary (n): a person who manages correspondence, records, or administrative tasks; also a high-ranking government official (e.g., Secretary of State).
- Deputy secretary (n): an official ranking just below a secretary, often synonymous with under-secretary in some contexts.
- Permanent under-secretary (n): the most senior civil servant in a UK government department, serving as the administrative head.
- The permanent under-secretary oversees the department's daily operations. (The top civil servant manages the ministry's functions.)
Synonyms
- Deputy: a person appointed to act for or assist a superior.
- Assistant secretary: a subordinate official in a government department, similar in rank to an under-secretary.
- Subsecretary: a less common term for a deputy secretary or under-secretary.
Related Idioms
- : This term is a formal government title and does not commonly appear in idiomatic expressions. However, it may be used in contexts like:
- "To work as an under-secretary": To hold a deputy role in a government hierarchy.
- "The under-secretary's portfolio": The range of responsibilities assigned to that official.