secretary of state: Meaning and Definition of

sec'retary of state'

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. the head and chief administrator of the U.S. Department of State. Cf.
  2. any of several ministers in the British government: A new secretary of state for the Home Department has been appointed.
  3. (in the U.S.) the appointed or elected official in a state government whose chief function is to distribute statutes, administer elections, keep archives, etc.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.