ministry

noun

min·​is·​try ˈmi-nə-strē 

plural ministries

1

: ministration

the ingenuity of destruction … had outrun the ministry of healing

—Dixon Wecter

2

: the office, duties, or functions of a minister

was well prepared for the ministry

3

: the body of ministers of religion : clergy

joined the Presbyterian ministry

4

: a person or thing through which something is accomplished : agency, instrumentality

heroic believers become such by the ministry of heroic pain

—Austin Phelps

5

: the period of service or office of a minister or ministry

Many reforms were enacted during his ministry.

6

often capitalized

a

: the body of ministers governing a nation or state from which a smaller cabinet (see cabinet entry 1 sense 3b) is sometimes selected

b

: the group of ministers constituting a cabinet

7

a

: a government department presided over by a minister

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

b

: the building in which the business of a ministry is transacted

Synonyms

• agency
• agent
• instrument
• instrumentality
• machinery
• means
• medium
• organ
• vehicle

Examples of ministry in a Sentence

a member of the ministry

She learned a lot during her first year of ministry.

Recent Examples on the Web

The big picture: Around 90% of Gaza's residents have already been displaced by the war, and over 50,000 have been killed according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. —Barak Ravid, Axios, 28 Mar. 2025

In response, hundreds of thousands of armed Sunni men, nominally under the authority of the defense ministry, rushed to Hama, Latakia, and Tartus ready to fight. —Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2025

In 2016, the French culture ministry issued a statement saying that the police were investigating the authenticity of pieces of furniture valued at 2.7 million euros (about $2.9 million), including two Louis XV chairs, purchased by the Palace of Versailles. —Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

The announcement is expected to stress that levels of acceptance for gay and transgender people vary significantly across different regions of the U.S. Newsweek has contacted the Dutch and Belgian foreign ministries for comment. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ministerie, minstri "personal service, religious office, position in a church," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French ministere "service, duty," going back to Old French, borrowed from Latin ministerium "activity of a servant, duty, task, support" (Late Latin, "ecclesiastical service") from minister "servant, minister entry 1" + -ium, denominal suffix of occupations

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ministry

• the ministry

Kids Definition

ministry

noun

min·​is·​try ˈmin-ə-strē 

plural ministries

1

: the action of ministering

2

: the office, duties, or work of a minister

3

a

: the body of ministers governing a nation or state

b

: a government department headed by a minister

c

: the building in which a ministry is housed