minister

American  

[min-uh-ster] / ˈmɪn ə stər /

noun

• ministers
  plural

1. a person authorized to conduct religious worship; member of the clergy; pastor.

2. a person authorized to administer sacraments, as at Mass.

3. a person appointed by or under the authority of a sovereign or head of a government to some high office of state, especially to that of head of an administrative department.

   the minister of finance.

4. a diplomatic representative accredited by one government to another and ranking next below an ambassador.

5. a person acting as the agent or instrument of another.

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verb (used with object)

• ministers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• ministered,
  past participle,  past
• ministering
  present participle

1. to administer or apply.

   to minister the last rites.

2. Archaic. to furnish; supply.

verb (used without object)

• ministers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• ministered,
  past participle,  past
• ministering
  present participle

1. to perform the functions of a religious minister.

2. to give service, care, or aid; attend, as to wants or necessities..

   to minister to the needs of the hungry.

   Synonyms:

   oblige, tend, answer

3. to contribute, as to comfort or happiness.

minister British  

/ ˈmɪnɪstə /

noun

1. (esp in Presbyterian and some Nonconformist Churches) a member of the clergy

2. a person appointed to head a government department

3. any diplomatic agent accredited to a foreign government or head of state

4. short for minister plenipotentiary or envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary See envoy 1

5. Also called (in full): minister resident.  a diplomat ranking after an envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary

6. a person who attends to the needs of others, esp in religious matters

7. a person who acts as the agent or servant of a person or thing

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verb

1. to attend to the needs (of); take care (of)

2. archaic (tr) to provide; supply

minister ¹ Cultural  

1. In many Protestant churches, the presiding clergyman. Ministers preach sermons; conduct services; officiate at baptisms, weddings, and funerals; and generally look after the needs of their congregation. Some Protestant churches refer to their clergy as pastors or preachers rather than ministers.

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minister ² Cultural  

1. A title used in many countries for members of cabinets and similar public officials, who are roughly equivalent to the officials in the United States cabinet. For example, a minister of foreign affairs will have duties similar to those of the secretary of state of the United States.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ministership
  noun
• subminister
  noun
• underminister
  noun
• preminister
  verb (used without object)
• unministered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ministers
  plural

Participles

• ministering
  present
• ministered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• minister
  simple
• ministers
  simple
• have ministered
  perfect
• has ministered
  perfect
• am ministering
  progressive
• are ministering
  progressive
• is ministering
  progressive
• have been ministering
  perfect progressive
• has been ministering
  perfect progressive

Past

• ministered
  simple
• had ministered
  perfect
• was ministering
  progressive
• were ministering
  progressive
• had been ministering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will minister
  simple
• will have ministered
  perfect
• will be ministering
  progressive
• will have been ministering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of minister

First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the noun) Middle English minister, ministre, from Old French ministre, from Latin minister “servant,” from minus “less” (adverb form of minor minor ) + -ter, noun suffix; (for the verb) Middle English ministren, from Old French ministrer, from Latin ministrāre “to act as a servant, attend,” derivative of minister; cf. master ( def. )

Explanation

You might meet a minister of the religious kind — a pastor or a rector. Or, you may meet a minister of the government kind — a prime minister or a minister of finance, for example. You don't have to be religious to minister. When you minister to someone, you take care of them. All of these meanings of minister — both as a noun and as a verb — contain a grain of the original Latin meaning, "servant." A minister in a church serves his or her flock, and a prime minister serves his or her country.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

minister ministers ministered ministering

Bangladesh's prime minister Tarique Rahman congratulated the team on a video call with the players.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

A young Michel Rocard, later the prime minister of France, was among those who went to help.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

Starmer was the first UK prime minister to post there in December 2025, but his top videos only had music and text.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

More than 200 people gathered at Coleraine Town Hall to call on the health minister to stop EGS being moved to Antrim Area Hospital.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

In addition to Adolf Hitler, these included Joseph Goebbels, minister of propaganda; Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS; and Robert Ley, head of the Reich Labor Front.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Japanese defence ministers have attended Yasukuni before, the last one being Minoru Kihara in 2024.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

Clacton has been on every politician's lips with the seaside town's railway station the destination for day trips by activists, cabinet ministers and big Westminster names.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Harvey has previously stood in four parliamentary elections, including against prime ministers, and two London mayoral elections.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

But Stormont ministers rejected the proposal, instead giving councillors a 5% increase, external in their basic annual allowance to more than £18,000.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

People stayed clear of funerals, doctors, and ministers.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

The Rev. Rob Schenck, a former Christian nationalist who once ministered to the right in Washington, told me that Suozzi said at the time that he was living at C Street.

From Salon ● May 29, 2026

During his retirement, he ministered at St Mary the Virgin in Eastbourne until he was barred in 2022.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2025

Powe’s relatives belonged to the Knights, named for a 17th century Spanish Jesuit who ministered to enslaved people in Colombia and is the country’s patron saint.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2025

He ministered to Inuit communities until he left in the 1990s and returned to France.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 12, 2024

Even her hair was graciously in place as if an angel had ministered to her.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Describing her experience ministering as a person of colour, Rev Eileen Cremin said it was "overall positive".

From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2026

Bedraggled and bleeding, he opens his eyes to find Anna ministering to him and is rhapsodically smitten.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 14, 2025

My recent employment has been as a hospice chaplain, ministering to dying people and their families.

From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2024

The commission cited Lin’s work ministering to fellow prisoners and translating the Bible into Chinese.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2024

Two of them made a number of visits but spent more time performing autopsies on dead bodies than ministering to the sick.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

Related Words

• administrator
• aide
• delegate
• diplomat
• envoy
• executive
• official
• secretary