Secretary Vs Secretariat: Meaning And Differences

Secretary and secretariat are great examples of related words with different meanings. However, do you know their meanings and differences? If not, worry not because this secretary vs secretariat overview in the next paragraph will expound more on these words. 

Secretary is “a managerial or leading position in organizations or a desk for writing.” In contrast, a secretariat is “an administrative unit that maintains records for internal organizations.” The secretariat is also “where a secretary transacts business or maintains records.

The link between the words “secretary” and “secretariat” is relatively easy to identify because of their spellings. However, there is more to their differences and similarities than meets the eye. Let’s dive in to learn more about these words, from the meanings to differences.

Definitions Of Secretary And Secretariat

The best way to clarify confusing or correlated words is through their definitions. The definitions will also help you understand more about the correlations between words like “secretary” and “secretariat.” Here are some of the core definitions of secretary and secretariat:

Definitions Of Secretary

A secretary is “a person that keeps records, takes notes, or handles the clerical work in an organization.” This is the most popular definition of the word secretary.

A secretary is also “a person employed to tackle correspondence and do routine work in a corporate office, like dictating, typing, and filing official documents.”

Another source defines a secretary as “a managerial or superior position in a particular non-profit organization, like a global organization, political party, or trade union.” An example sentence is, “ Mike will join the UN as the secretary general from next month.”.

Another standard definition of secretary is “the head of a governmental department,” like a secretary of state or secretary general. In the US, a secretary refers to “a type of office furniture, particularly, a desk used for administration purposes.” A secretary desk.

In the UK, a secretary is “the principal assistant to a government minister or ambassador,” like the chief secretary to the treasury. 

The legal definition of a secretary is “an officer of state whose business is to supervise and manage the matters of a specific governmental department, a member of an advisory council of executives, that conducts correspondence duties or attends to government related issues with foreign courts.” An example is the secretary of the treasury.

Some people refer to a secretary as “someone that writes orders, letters, private papers, and records, then dispatches them to designated people,” like an official scribe.

An obsolete meaning of the word “secretary” is “someone entrusted with secrets.” Note that this definition no longer applies in modern contexts.

Definitions Of Secretariat

A secretariat means “the officials or office entrusted with administrative or management responsibilities, like maintaining records or overseeing secretarial duties, especially in an internal organization, union, or government,” like the United Nations Secretariat.

Another definition of a secretariat is “a group or department featuring several secretaries.” A secretariat is also “where secretaries transact business or fulfill their responsibilities, like preserving records.”

A prevalent definition of secretariat in governance is “the office of a government secretary or a secretary in a government organization.”

How To Properly Use Secretary And Secretariat In A Sentence

The section above explains that a secretary performs administrative duties, like preparing orders, letters, and dispatches in an organization. On the other hand, a secretariat is the office or department of a government secretary.” So, the critical point you should take away from this information is that these words are related but not the same.

Their relationship is evident because of the word “secretary,” used in the definition of “secretariat.” Now that you know the differences according to their meanings, we can discuss how to use these words. Here are some practical guidelines:

How To Use The Word Secretary

This word is a noun because it describes a person with specific responsibilities. You can use this noun to describe the following:

• A person hired for record-keeping, accounting, and routine administrative roles
• Someone hired to perform transcription duties
• A type of desk for writing used in the office
• A politician that leads a governmental ministry
• Someone ranked below a senior person, hired to assist them 

The plural form of secretary is “secretaries.”

How To Use The Word Secretariat

This word is straightforward because it has one definition. While sources use different words to define this term, if you look at the definitions keenly, you will notice that they are closely linked. Therefore, if you understand the meaning correctly, you will have no issue using this word.

One more thing: keep in mind before using this word that it is a noun. So, you can also use its plural form. Also, ensure to use the correct spelling.

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Secretary Vs Secretariat: What Are The Differences?

The definitions explain that the difference between secretariat and secretary is that the former is “an administrative unit that performs secretarial duties, especially for an international or government organization.” On the other hand, a secretary is a person hired to perform routine administrative duties in an organization. However, other differences between secretary and secretariat exist besides their definitions. Here are some of these differences:

Syllables And Pronunciation

Pronunciation and the number of syllables are related concepts because experts recommend breaking down words into syllables to master their pronunciations. Therefore, the term “secretary” has four syllables. So, its proper pronunciation is “/sek-ri-ter-ee/.” In contrast, the word “secretariat” has five syllables. Therefore, its correct pronunciation is “/sek-ri-tair-ee-ut/.”

History And Origin

Secretary comes from the late 14th-century word “secretarie,” meaning “a person responsible for maintaining secrets or confidential affairs.” This definition is currently obsolete. The word also originates from the Medieval Latin “secretarius,” meaning “clerk, confidant, or confidential officer.” Its current meaning traces back to the 1590s.

In contrast, secretariat comes from the French word “secretariat” from the Medieval Latin “secretariatus,” meaning “the office of the secretary.” The first known use of this word was in 1926. That means secretariat is a more recent word than the secretary.

List Of Examples Of Secretary And Secretariat Use In Sentences

One of the best things about learning new words or clarifying confusing ones, like secretary and secretariat, is that you can add them to your vocabulary confidently. You do not learn new words, so you can just keep them in your brain.

The goal is to use each word in your conversations and writings. For this reason, looking at example sentences while learning new words comes in handy. You’ll know how to use these words in various contexts. So, let us look at some sentence examples:

Example sentences of the word secretary

1. The secretary printed and dispatched the wrong documents to the parents.
2. David and Alicia visited the secretary to acquire information regarding their new positions.
3. The new cabinet secretary attended the event on behalf of the government.
4. The secretary did not allow the students to access their head teacher.
5. Most workers cannot get to their bosses without talking to the secretary.

Example sentences of the word secretariat

1. In today’s press release, the United Nations secretariat announced its position on the Ukraine-Russian war.
2. The statement from the secretariat was not as informative as the public expected.
3. The government dissolved its secretariat when the new president took charge.
4. The general secretariat is the only department that can decide on the issue.
5. Bruno joined the legal secretariat two months ago.

Conclusion

Secretary and secretariat are different words with related meanings. Therefore, you should not use them synonymously. However, understanding the meaning of “secretary” will help you understand the definition of “secretariat.” Feel free to create creative sentences with these words after reading this article.