minister

1 of 2

noun

min·​is·​ter ˈmi-nə-stər How to pronounce minister (audio)
1
: agent
the angels are ministers of the divine willH. P. Liddon
2
a
: one officiating or assisting the officiant in church worship
b
: a clergyman or clergywoman especially of a Protestant communion
3
a
: the superior (see superior entry 2 sense 1) of one of several religious orders

called also minister-general

b
: the assistant to the rector or the bursar of a Jesuit house
4
: a high officer of state entrusted with the management of a division of governmental activities
the British Minister of Defence
5
a
: a diplomatic representative (such as an ambassador) accredited to the court (see court entry 1 sense 1c) or seat of government of a foreign state
b
: a diplomatic representative ranking below an ambassador

minister

2 of 2

verb

ministered; ministering ˈmi-nə-st(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce minister (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to function as a minister of religion
2
: to give aid or service
minister to the sick

Examples of minister in a Sentence

Noun the British ministers at the international peace conference our minister gives an interesting sermon every week
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The problems of Palestinian governance need more than piecemeal reforms, new laws, or a yet another set of ministers. Raja Khalidi, Foreign Affairs, 19 Mar. 2024 At various moments, Schleicher, as the minister of defense, entertained what was in effect a plan for imposing martial law with himself in charge and Hammerstein at his side. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Drakeford will resign as first minister of Wales on March 19, the Labour Party said in a statement, with the Welsh parliament, the Senedd, formally set to elect the next leader on March 20. Reuters, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 Then, in February 1991, Menem switched Domingo Cavallo from being minister of foreign affairs to minister of economy, and in April 1991, the peso was linked to the dollar in a currency reform called Convertibility. Steve H. Hanke, National Review, 14 Mar. 2024 The Hungarian government was planning to spend about €1 billion to improve infrastructure around the area, Janos Lazar, the minister responsible for construction and transportation, said late last year. Veronika Gulyas, Fortune Europe, 14 Mar. 2024 Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and a prominent far-right, pro-settler voice, said Thursday that the Israeli government would fight any sanctions. Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his plan Monday to expand Israel's military offensive into the southern city of Rafah while his defense minister warned Hamas not to test Israel's resolve during Ramadan. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 The holy month also threatens to heighten divisions within Israel's unruly cabinet, with ministers already split over how to conduct the Gaza war. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 10 Mar. 2024
Verb
Jor-El’s mother, Theresa Sellars, ministered the ceremony in a Supergirl costume. Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 The priests had spent the last two decades ministering to U.S. military personnel, veterans, and their beneficiaries at the medical center. Heather Hunter, Washington Examiner, 9 Apr. 2023 The couple, along with Elizabeth Lumpkin, were active members of the Great Banquet, a Christian religious leadership program that ministered in jails and elsewhere. John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Apr. 2023 Lentz, who once ministered to Justin Bieber and other stars, was a pastor at Hillsong, until he was fired in 2020 after having an extramarital affair. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2023 The ultimate goal is to replicate the entire job of the pancreatic control system, so that patients will no longer have to minister to themselves. Boris Kovatchev, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Nov. 2021 While many believe Patrick was responsible for bringing Christianity to Ireland, History.com reports his mission was to minister to existing Irish Christians as well as convert non-Christians. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2023 Deprived of face-to-face contact with his parishioners during the height of the pandemic, Michael Coren, an Anglican priest, had to get creative to minister to the sick, the dying, the elderly, and the lonely. Krista Stevens, Longreads, 19 Jan. 2023 The trip will also allow Francis to minister to Bahrain’s Catholic community, which numbers around 80,000 in a country of around 1.5 million. Nicole Winfield, ajc, 3 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'minister.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English ministre "servant, ecclesiastic, priest, official serving a superior, agent," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin minister "servant, ecclesiastic (short for Deī minister "servant of god"), agent, official," going back to Latin, "servant, priest's attendant, agent," formed from minor-, minus "less, lesser" (with the suffix of location and opposition -ter) after magister "manager, master entry 1" — more at minus entry 1

Verb

Middle English ministren, borrowed from Anglo-French ministrer, borrowed from Latin ministrāre "to act as a servant, serve, supply" (Late Latin, "to serve as an ecclesiastic"), derivative of minister "servant, minister entry 1"

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of minister was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near minister

Cite this Entry

“Minister.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minister. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

minister

1 of 2 noun
min·​is·​ter ˈmin-ə-stər How to pronounce minister (audio)
1
a
: one who performs religious ceremonies in church services
b
: a member of the clergy of a Protestant church
2
: a high official who heads a department of the government
3
: a government representative in a foreign country

minister

2 of 2 verb
ministered; ministering
-st(ə-)riŋ
: to give aid : serve
minister to the sick
ministration
ˌmin-ə-ˈstrā-shən
noun

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