Noun: secretary of state (ssecretaries of state)
- A government minister for foreign relations
"The secretary of state negotiated a new trade agreement with neighbouring countries";
- foreign minister
- The person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of State
"the first Secretary of State was Thomas Jefferson"
- The position of the head of the State Department
"the position of Secretary of State was established in 1789"
Derived forms: Secretaries of State
Type of: government minister, minister, secretary, secretaryship
Part of: United States Cabinet, US Cabinet
Encyclopedia: Secretary of state
Secretary of State