undersecretary

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noun

An administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet

OriginEnglish secretary ← Medieval Latin secrētārius ← Latin sēcrētus →
Less commonScrabble 20
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Meanings

nounundersecretary (plural undersecretaries)

plural undersecretaries

  1. An administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
  2. An assistant or deputy secretary of a government department

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁entér
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂én
  4. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-?
  5. Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰí
  6. Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰér
  7. Proto-Germanic*under
  8. Proto-West Germanic*undar
  9. Old Englishunder-
  10. Middle Englishunder-
  11. Englishunder-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*s(w)é
  13. Latinsē-
  14. Proto-Indo-European*krey-
  15. Proto-Italic*krinō
  16. Latincernō
  17. Latinsēcrētus
  18. Medieval Latinsecrētārius
  19. Englishsecretary
  20. Englishundersecretary

From under- + secretary.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 副部長 /副部长
  • 副部長 /副部长 (fùbùzhǎng)an administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
Dutch onderminister
  • onderministeran administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
French sous-secrétaire
  • sous-secrétairean administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
Hungarian államtitkár, miniszterhelyettes
  • államtitkáran administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
  • miniszterhelyettesan administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
Indonesian menteri muda
  • menteri mudaan administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
Irish fo-rúnaí
  • fo-rúnaían administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
Italian sottosegretario, sottosegretaria
  • sottosegretarioan administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
  • sottosegretariaan administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
  • viceministroan administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
Japanese 次官
  • 次官 (jikan)an administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
Korean 차관
  • 차관 (chagwan)an administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
Russian заммини́стра
  • заммини́стра (zamminístra)an administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
Spanish subsecretario
  • subsecretarioan administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
Tagalog pangalawang kalihim, katuwang na kalihim
  • pangalawang kalihiman administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
  • katuwang na kalihiman administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
Turkish müsteşar
  • müsteşaran administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet
Cite this entry
APA

undersecretary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/undersecretary

MLA

“undersecretary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/undersecretary. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “undersecretary,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/undersecretary.

Source: undersecretary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.