ministry

American  

[min-uh-stree] / ˈmɪn ə stri /

noun

• ministries
  plural

1. the service, functions, or profession of a minister of religion.

2. the body or class of ministers of religion; clergy.

3. the service, function, or office of a minister of state.

4. the body of ministers of state.

5. (usually initial capital letter) any of the administrative governmental departments of certain countries usually under the direction of a minister of state.

6. (usually initial capital letter) the building that houses such an administrative department.

7. the term of office of a minister of state.

8. an act or instance of ministering; ministration; service.

9. something that serves as an agency, instrument, or means.

---

ministry British  

/ ˈmɪnɪstrɪ /

noun

1. 1. the profession or duties of a minister of religion

   2. the performance of these duties

2. ministers of religion or government ministers considered collectively

3. the tenure of a minister

4. 1. a government department headed by a minister

   2. the buildings of such a department

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preministry
  noun
• pseudoministry
  noun
• underministry
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ministries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ministry

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Latin ministerium, from minister minister + -ium -ium

Explanation

If you are discussing the duties of your minister or rabbi, you are talking about his or her ministry — the work the religious leader does in serving a congregation. The noun ministry also refers to a group of clergy. Even if you do not lead a religious community, you can still have a ministry, as the word means to provide information or services about an organization or cause. The charity can have a ministry to serve homeless people. The noun ministry can also refer to a government department. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Ministry of Defense oversees the armed forces. A ministry can also be the building where this sort of government work occurs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ministry ministries

Venezuela’s foreign ministry and Rodriguez’s office didn’t respond to requests for comment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

"Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of our learners, teachers and school personnel," the education ministry said, adding it was coordinating with authorities to verify the incident and provide necessary support.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

The Saudi energy ministry said technical teams were assessing the pipeline’s integrity and that any new developments would be announced in due course.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Beijing and Washington are currently in consultation about a tariff reduction framework covering $30 billion worth of products on each side, China's commerce ministry said last week.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

The ministry will never disappoint Mr. Smith in order to please a mere consul.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez

The foreign ministries of the Philippines and Taiwan declined to confirm or deny the authenticity of the hacked materials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

The Vatican and the foreign ministries of Pakistan and Russia didn’t respond to requests for comment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

A joint statement by the three foreign ministries said: "The victims of this incident and their families deserve justice and accountability, and we will continue to seek answers on their behalf."

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

He said meetings between investors and government ministries -- sometimes involving confidential information -- can help calm some fears and promote a better image of the country and region.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

He also found that the evangelical ministries were hobbled without adequate salaries to attract professional staff members and without centers of their own where students could gather, socialize, and study the Bible.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

• bureau
• department