Secretary of State
noun /ˌsekrətri əv ˈsteɪt/
/ˌsekrəteri əv ˈsteɪt/
- (also Secretary)(in the UK) the head of an important government department
- the Secretary of State for Education
- the Education Secretary
- (in the US) the head of the government department that deals with foreign affairsCultureIn the US the Secretary of State is the head of the Department of State. The person holding the office is the most important member of the President's Cabinet and has an important role in the creation of US foreign policy. Well-known Secretaries of State have included John Foster Dulles, Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton.