Secret vs. Secretary — What's the Difference?

Information that is not accessible to the general public and requires confidentiality.

Often the first point of contact in an office, handling incoming and outgoing communications.

Requires discretion and sometimes security measures to maintain.

Requires organizational skills, proficiency in administrative tasks, and sometimes knowledge of specific industries.

Often related to personal, commercial, or state security matters.

May handle confidential information as part of their duties.

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

A person employed by an individual or in an office to assist with correspondence, keep records, make appointments, and carry out similar tasks.

Disclosure of secrets can lead to legal or personal repercussions.

Plays a key role in ensuring the smooth operation of the office.

Not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others

A secretary, administrative professional, or personal assistant is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication, or organizational skills. However this role should not be confused with the role of an executive secretary, who differs from a personal assistant.

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others

A person employed by an individual or in an office to assist with correspondence, make appointments, and carry out administrative tasks

Kept hidden from knowledge or view; concealed

A person employed to handle correspondence, keep files, and do clerical work for another person or an organization.

Not expressed; inward

An officer who keeps records, takes minutes of the meetings, and answers correspondence, as for a company.

Given to keeping one's thoughts and activities unknown to others; secretive

An official who presides over an administrative department of state.

Not revealing a secret or not given to revealing secrets

A desk with a small bookcase on top.

Operating in a hidden or confidential manner

(obsolete) Someone entrusted with a secret; a confidant.

Containing information, the unauthorized disclosure of which poses a grave threat to national security.

(obsolete) Someone employed as a scribe for personal correspondence.

Not much visited; secluded

A person who keeps records, takes notes and handles general clerical work.

Known or shared only by the initiated

The head of a department of government.

Beyond ordinary understanding; mysterious

A managerial or leading position in certain non-profit organizations, such as political parties, trade unions, international organizations.

Something that is kept out of the knowledge or sight of others or is known only to oneself or a few

(US) A type of desk, secretary desk; a secretaire.

Something that remains beyond understanding or explanation; a mystery

A secretary bird, a bird of the species Sagittarius serpentarius.

A method or formula for doing or making something well, especially when not widely known

(transitive) To serve as a secretary of.

Secret A variable prayer said after the Offertory and before the Preface in the Mass.

One who keeps, or is intrusted with, secrets.

(countable) A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended to be kept hidden.

A person employed to write orders, letters, dispatches, public or private papers, records, and the like; an official scribe, amanuensis, or writer; one who attends to correspondence, and transacts other business, for an association, a public body, or an individual.

The key or principle by which something is made clear; the knack.

An officer of state whose business is to superintend and manage the affairs of a particular department of government, and who is usually a member of the cabinet or advisory council of the chief executive; as, the secretary of state, who conducts the correspondence and attends to the relations of a government with foreign courts; the secretary of the treasury, who manages the department of finance; the secretary of war, etc.

Something not understood or known.

A piece of furniture, with conveniences for writing and for the arrangement of papers; an escritoire.

(uncountable) Private seclusion.

The secretary bird.

The genital organs.

A person who is head of an administrative department of government

(historical) A form of steel skullcap.

An assistant who handles correspondence and clerical work for a boss or an organization

Any prayer spoken inaudibly and not aloud; especially, one of the prayers in the Mass, immediately following the "orate, fratres", said inaudibly by the celebrant.

A person to whom a secret is entrusted

Being or kept hidden.

A desk used for writing

(obsolete) Withdrawn from general intercourse or notice; in retirement or secrecy; secluded.

(obsolete) Faithful to a secret; not inclined to divulge or betray confidence; secretive, separate, apart.

(obsolete) Separate; distinct.

(transitive) To make or keep secret.

(transitive) To hide secretly.

Hidden; concealed; as, secret treasure; secret plans; a secret vow.

Withdrawn from general intercourse or notice; in retirement or secrecy; secluded.

Faithful to a secret; not inclined to divulge or betray confidence; secretive.

Separate; distinct.

Something studiously concealed; a thing kept from general knowledge; what is not revealed, or not to be revealed.

A thing not discovered; what is unknown or unexplained; a mystery.

The parts which modesty and propriety require to be concealed; the genital organs.

To keep secret.

Something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on);

Information known only to a special group;

Something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained;

Not open or public; kept private or not revealed;

Conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods;

Not openly made known;

Communicated covertly;

Not expressed;

Designed to elude detection;

Hidden from general view or use;

(of information) given in confidence or in secret;

Indulging only covertly;

Having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding;

The next to highest level of official classification for documents

Yes, secretaries often handle confidential information and are responsible for its security within their administrative roles.

A good secretary should have excellent organizational, communication, and time management skills, along with proficiency in office software.

The primary difference is that a secret refers to confidential information, while a secretary is a professional role focused on administrative tasks.

Yes, the role of a secretary is evolving to include more technology use, handling of digital communication, and sometimes project management tasks.

While anyone can keep a secret, it requires a high level of discretion and sometimes specific measures to ensure it remains confidential.

Keeping information secret can be crucial for personal privacy, business competitiveness, or national security.

Businesses often use non-disclosure agreements, secure data management systems, and strict access controls to protect secrets.

Yes, there are various types of secretaries, including legal, medical, and executive secretaries, each specializing in different fields.

Disclosure of a secret can lead to legal action, loss of trust, competitive disadvantage, or other serious consequences.

Common challenges include managing high volumes of information, multitasking under tight deadlines, and maintaining confidentiality.