company secretary: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Business, Legal
Quick answer
What does “company secretary” mean?
A senior officer in a company responsible for ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, maintaining statutory records, and facilitating board meetings.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A senior officer in a company responsible for ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, maintaining statutory records, and facilitating board meetings.
In broader corporate governance, the role often encompasses being the chief governance professional, advising the board on legal obligations, ethical standards, and corporate secretarial practice. In some jurisdictions, the term can refer to a specific qualified professional required by law for certain types of companies.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK and Commonwealth countries, 'Company Secretary' is a formal, often legally mandated role with specific qualifications (e.g., from the Chartered Governance Institute). In the US, the equivalent role is more commonly called the 'Corporate Secretary', though 'Company Secretary' is understood in international business contexts.
Connotations
UK: Strong connotation of a qualified governance professional with legal responsibilities. US: May have a slightly narrower connotation focused on board support and minutes, unless specified as a 'Governance Professional'.
Frequency
The term is high-frequency in UK, Indian, Australian, and Singaporean business/legal contexts. It is medium-frequency in US corporate governance, where 'Corporate Secretary' is preferred.
Grammar
How to Use “company secretary” in a Sentence
The board appointed [NP] as company secretary.[NP] serves as the company secretary for [NP].The company secretary is responsible for [V-ing].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “company secretary” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The firm was company-secretaried by a leading governance expert.
- She company-secretaries for three SMEs.
American English
- The governance firm company-secretaries for our subsidiary.
- He has company-secretaried in the tech sector.
adverb
British English
- The board acted company-secretarially in its filing.
- The matter was handled company-secretarially.
American English
- The filing was done corporate-secretarially.
- They proceeded governance-professionally.
adjective
British English
- The company-secretarial function is crucial.
- We need company-secretarial advice.
American English
- Corporate secretarial services are similar.
- The company-secretarial duties were outlined.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
The company secretary will circulate the board papers before the next meeting.
Academic
Research on corporate governance often highlights the evolving role of the company secretary.
Everyday
My sister is training to become a company secretary. (Less common in everyday talk)
Technical
Pursuant to Section 271 of the Companies Act, every public company must have a company secretary.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “company secretary”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “company secretary”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “company secretary”
- Using 'secretary' alone, which is ambiguous. Always use the full term 'company secretary' in formal contexts.
- Confusing with 'Personal Assistant to the CEO'.
- Assuming it is a purely administrative role.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While taking minutes is part of the role, a company secretary is a senior governance professional responsible for legal compliance, advising the board, and ensuring proper corporate administration.
For private companies, often yes. However, for UK public companies, the secretary must have specific qualifications (e.g., be a member of the Chartered Governance Institute) or have relevant experience deemed acceptable by the directors.
They are largely synonymous, but 'Company Secretary' is the standard term in the UK and Commonwealth, while 'Corporate Secretary' is more common in the United States. The core duties are very similar.
Yes. A company secretary can be held personally liable for certain failures, such as not filing required documents on time or failing to maintain proper statutory registers, as they are an officer of the company.
A senior officer in a company responsible for ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, maintaining statutory records, and facilitating board meetings.
Company secretary is usually formal, business, legal in register.
Company secretary: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkʌmpəni ˈsɛkrətri/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkʌmpəni ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Keep the company's conscience (metaphorical description of the role)”
- “The secretary is the company's memory.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a COMPANY's SECRETary who knows all the legal SECRETS and rules to keep the company compliant.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE CORPORATE NERVOUS SYSTEM (The role connects legal, board, and regulatory functions, transmitting vital information.)
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'Company Secretary' most formally defined and legally required?