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 seat became vacant after former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer announced he was standing down to focus on a role in international affairs.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Norway’s minister of digitalization said implementing the ban could be complicated due to European regulations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Former environment minister Lefter Koka was jailed for receiving 3.7 million euros in kickbacks in the case.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

The prime minister expressed concerns about how British industry and supply chains could be affected by the planned Made In Europe scheme.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

“I will speak to God,” replied the minister.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

That same evening, President Emmanuel Macron held an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and other key ministers to find a way out of the crisis.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

The paper says it comes after ministers "became alarmed at forecasts that show bills rising by hundreds of pounds in January"

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Asked why OpenAI had not directly contacted government ministers immediately after it found out about the breaches, Kwon acknowledged it was a mistake.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

That is precisely what happened to France’s previous two prime ministers when they attempted to introduce spending cuts in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

“Fred Shuttlesworth,” one of the ministers said, “you’re going to get all of us killed!”

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

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

“Francis was someone who took care of the poor, ministered to them, he raised money for them, visited and anointed them,” while Leo “advocated for their rights,” said Keenan.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2025

It was daunting when the Rev. Brandon Thomas Crowley, at age 22, replaced a beloved pastor who had ministered to one of suburban Boston’s most famed Black churches for 24 years.

From Seattle Times ● May 17, 2024

After the night of the feast and in the following bloody days she and Mary ministered to Cora, applying brine and poultices to her ravaged skin and making sure she ate.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

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

They both earned plaudits for doing the hard work of ministering from blue-collar cities — Buenos Aires for Francis, San Antonio for Gomez.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2025

The Church of England says that faith chaplains have been ministering to schools for centuries.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2024

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

From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2024

“A ministering angel,” said Bono, and pressed her free hand to his lips.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

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