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

The U.S. is Canada’s largest trading partner, and uncertainty over the future of that relationship has been a drag on business confidence as the prime minister is trying to attract outside investment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

France has seen 301 drownings since 19 June, a government minister has said, linking the sharp rise in deaths compared to last year to the prolonged heatwaves.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

A group of 21 former international cricket captains, including India's Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, signed a letter to Pakistan's government Sunday regarding the health care of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

Andy Burnham will mark his first foreign visit as prime minister with a trip to Kyiv on Monday to reiterate the UK's support for Ukraine and honour the country's independence day.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

A prominent Rochester minister, Reverend Strong, was entertaining visitors from out of town.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

McCabe, who leads a minority Labour administration, wants ministers to treat the area as a special case, providing more incentives to attract new employers.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

Successive governments have said they want to move more civil servants out of London and last year ministers set a target to reduce the numbers of roles in the capital by 12,000.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

China's foreign and defence ministers were in Jakarta Friday for talks with their Indonesian counterparts to seek greater political and military cooperation days after a joint navy drill Taiwan blasted as a "provocation".

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

The reforms made the system "fairer for taxpayers across the country", ministers added.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Because he stood up, his life was always in danger, more so than the other ministers’.

From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose

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

I was sick all day Sunday, ministered to by my girlfriend, who fed me chicken soup and bathed my head with wet washcloths.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2023

Among them are nuns in the U.S. who have ministered empathetically to LGBTQ+ Catholics, and took note when the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence made news last month.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 16, 2023

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

“It’s in Hebrews. It says, ‘Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley

Related Words

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