MINISTRY Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

ministry

noun

ˈmi-nə-strē

Definition of ministry

as in instrumentality

something used to achieve an end I don't care by what ministry it's accomplished, so long as it's done

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in clergy

the group ordained to perform clerical functions in the Christian church the ranks of the ministry have dwindled considerably in recent years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

laity

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ministry For your heart, there is no ministry worth wanting, which means the friction in your inner life has to be authored by you. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Cardinal Blase Cupich announced last weekend that Pfleger was removed from ministry while the investigation continues. — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026 The Danish foreign ministry statement cited Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen as declaring that he was deeply disappointed the indictment didn't reflect the seriousness and extent of the tragedy affecting so many families. — Grant Peck, Arkansas Online, 17 July 2026 Tshisekedi last week ordered the finance, economy and mines ministries, along with revenue agencies, to ensure coercive measures remain exceptional, legally justified, and proportionate. — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ministry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ministry

Noun

Issued by the Wyoming Stable Token Commission, a state instrumentality created under the Wyoming Stable Token Act (2023), FRNT is fully reserved and managed in partnership with Franklin Templeton.

— Jason Brett, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Holding the weight of cotton’s influence on the world, and thus the instrumentality of Black labor, is painful, yet necessary work.

— Cierra Black, Essence, 9 July 2025

Definition of instrumentality

Noun

Russia has launched several large-scale attacks on Kyiv in recent weeks as Ukraine faces a shortage of Patriot air defense missiles, which are its most effective means of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
While defense spending remains unequal among European NATO countries, most countries have made progress on increasing the means devoted to military capabilities.

— Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 July 2026

Definition of means

Noun

Robertson said church leaders can mirror some of the tactics that the religious right use, such as discussing policy issues from the pulpit.

— Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
The association, which is headquartered in West Sacramento, consists of 32 churches across five states.

— Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of church

Noun

Waymo’s support team is automatically notified if the vehicle crashes, and a roadside assistance representative will come to the collision site to assess the situation in person.

— Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
After crashing into the gate, Webster initially refused to leave his vehicle, but eventually complied.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 July 2026

Definition of vehicle

Noun

His body was found two days later, on July 6, facedown in the water off the shoreline of Horn Island by a National Park Service agent.

— Holly Yan, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
With Agentic Mode, the interface is hidden, and the agent can only use the logins and one-time passcodes explicitly approved for the current task.

— Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 18 July 2026

Definition of agent

Noun

As in previous days, the targets were largely in southern and coastal locations, including an area near a cancer hospital in Khuzestan province, Iran’s semi-official agency Mehr News said.

— Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
If the two agencies can avoid repeating past regulatory disagreements and provide clear definitions, the harmonization will be a benefit for prediction markets, said Peter Chan, a Baker McKenzie partner and former SEC employee.

— Ananya Chetia,Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 16 July 2026

Definition of agency

Browse Nearby Words

ministries

ministry

minivan

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ministry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ministry. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ministry

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on ministry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

maverick

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes