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

Modi held a meeting with the national security adviser, the foreign minister and other senior officials at the airport and a special security cabinet meeting had been called for 1230 GMT, a defence ministry official said. —Fayaz Bukhari, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025

While condolences from the government are ultimately expected – likely via a foreign ministry spokesperson per precedent – China’s minimalist response underscores the sensitivity of ties between the atheist ruling Communist Party and the Holy See. —Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025

Orange County commissioners planned to consider Tuesday a zoning request for a housing project proposed by a church ministry that had sheltered homeless people in storage containers until the fire marshal shuttered the facilities last year. —Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2025

His legacy reminds us that ministry must not be limited to those who belong to our faith or those who agree with us. —Maureen MacKey, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 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