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

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
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.
When asked at a regular press conference whether China was investigating CK Hutchison’s planned sale, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, declined to answer directly. Juliana Liu, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025 The Gaza health ministry figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025 Newsweek has contacted the Serbian, Romanian and Hungarian foreign ministries for comment. David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025 During his recovery from the heart attack, his friends attributed it to overwork in his ministry, seemingly never turning down requests to preach the good word in schools, churches and prisons. Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ministry

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

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ministry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ministry. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

ministry

noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on ministry

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