A country's secret service is a secret government department whose job is to find out enemy secrets and to prevent its own government's secrets from being discovered.
2. countable noun
Thesecret service is the government department in the United States which protects the president.
[US]
secret service in British English
noun
1.
a government agency or department that conducts intelligence or counterintelligence operations
2.
such operations
3. (with capitals)
a US government agency responsible for the protection of the president, the suppression of counterfeiting, and certain other police activities
secret service in American English
1.
a government service organized to carry on secret investigation
2. US; [S- S-]
a division of the U.S. Treasury Department concerned with the discovery and arrest of counterfeiters, protection of the President, etc.
Examples of 'secret service' in a sentence
secret service
She also overseas the Spanish secret services and aspects of economic policy.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
A country without a secret service would be too vulnerable.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But viewers may be a bit spooked by some of the storylines, which are hardly flattering to their country and its secret service.
The Sun (2010)
In other languages
secret service
British English: secret service /ˈsiːkrɪt ˈsɜːvɪs/ NOUN
A country's secret service is a government department whose job is to find out enemy secrets and to prevent its own government's secrets from being discovered.