secretariat
/ˌsɛkrɪˈtɛːrɪət
/noun
1A permanent administrative office or department, especially a governmental one: the European Secretariat in Luxembourg...
- The parties in every country have their own special women's committees, secretariats and bureaus.
- There are suggestions that regional health secretariats and youth centres might serve wider Commonwealth functions.
- But that process, however closely coordinated with U.N. secretariats, is still technically unilateral.
1.1 [treated as singular or plural] The staff working in a secretariat.I also pay tribute to the select committee secretariat for their work....
- The Parliament is helped by a large secretariat of approximately 3,500 staff, headed by a Secretary-General.
- The group's secretariat is usually provided by an outside body, either an NGO or a consultancy.
Origin
Early 19th century: from French secrétariat, from medieval Latin secretariatus, from secretarius (see secretary).