ministry

noun

min·is·try | \ ˈmi-nə-strē

plural ministries

Definition of ministry

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

7a : 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 & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about ministry

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Synonyms & Antonyms for ministry

Synonyms

church, clergy, cloth, spirituality, spiritualty

Antonyms

laity

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 defense ministry, which is responsible for Italy's participation in Operation Sophia, made clear Salvini had no business getting involved in one of its naval missions. — Nicole Winfield, Fox News, "EU: Italy complaints about EU navy mission can be discussed," 10 July 2018 The defense ministry, which is responsible for Italy’s participation in Operation Sophia, made clear Salvini had no business getting involved in one of its naval missions. — Washington Post, "EU: Italy complaints about EU navy mission can be discussed," 9 July 2018 The defense ministry, which is responsible for Italy’s participation in Operation Sophia, made clear Salvini had no business getting involved in one of its naval missions. — Nicole Winfield, The Seattle Times, "EU: Italy complaints about EU navy mission can be discussed," 9 July 2018 Five other dogs from the LCC ministry traveled to Orlando and joined Peace for her graduation on Sunday. — Lisa Maria Garza, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Downtown Trinity Lutheran Church offers 'Peace' through trained Golden Retriever," 1 July 2018 The home ministry, say AAP supporters, has handicapped the city administration by serially declining to appoint bureaucrats to vacant posts, transferring those judged sympathetic to the AAP and installing BJP loyalists instead. — The Economist, "India’s national government and the city of Delhi are feuding," 21 June 2018 The Democrat-Gazette reported that in January 2011, Caldwell signed a warranty deed conveying the house from the ministry back to himself. — Nick Powell, Houston Chronicle, "Property tax exemption restored for Texas evangelist who ran for Congress in Arkansas," 15 June 2018 Archaeologists found a giant granite sarcophagus while carrying out a routine land inspection in Alexandria, Egypt, according to a Facebook post from the ministry of antiquities. — Ella Cerón, Teen Vogue, "Undisturbed Sarcophagus Found in Alexandria, Egypt," 12 July 2018 To increase controls, each authorized activity will be under the supervision of a state ministry, in addition to the municipal and provincial government entitities, which can intervene to set prices. — Nora Gámez Torres, miamiherald, "Cuba imposes more taxes and controls on private sector and increases censorship on the arts," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ministry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for ministry

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

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