Secretary of State meaning

Secretary of State as a noun

1. the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of State
   • the first Secretary of State was Thomas Jefferson

   Type of: secretary

2. a government minister for foreign relations

   Synonyms: foreign minister

   Type of: minister

3. the position of the head of the State Department
   • the position of Secretary of State was established in 1789

   Type of: secretaryship

How to pronounce Secretary of State

Secretary of State is pronounced /ˈsɛkrɪtəri əv steɪt/ in British English and /ˈsɛkrətɛri ʌv steɪt/ in American English. It has 6 syllables.