ministerial
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to a minister of religion or his office
-
of or relating to a government minister or ministry
a ministerial act
-
(often capital) of or supporting the ministry or government against the opposition
-
law relating to or possessing delegated executive authority
-
law (of an office, duty, etc) requiring the following of instructions, without power to exercise any personal discretion in doing so
-
acting as an agent or cause; instrumental
Other Word Forms
- antiministerial adjective
- antiministerially adverb
- interministerial adjective
- ministerially adverb
- nonministerial adjective
- nonministerially adverb
- pseudoministerial adjective
- quasi-ministerial adjective
- semiministerial adjective
- unministerial adjective
- unministerially adverb
Etymology
Origin of ministerial
1555–65; < Late Latin ministeriālis, equivalent to Latin ministeri ( um ) ministry + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
Ministerial means having to do with a minister of a religion, or a government. If your dad is a pastor, he may have to make it clear if he is telling you not to lie as a father, or in his ministerial capacity. Ministerial derives from the Latin minister meaning "servant." A religious minister is a servant of God. A government minister is the head of a department, but also a servant of the government. Their work is their ministry, thus ministerial means pertaining to that work. If, as England's minister of defense, you streamlined the military, that streamlining would be your ministerial legacy.
Vocabulary lists containing ministerial
The Picture of Dorian Gray
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The Federalist Papers, No. 39 by James Madison
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Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Otherwise, though, this was a prime ministerial address peppered with gloomy language.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
That’s because costs are passed on to consumers monthly through an automatic adjustment mechanism, which applies to changes of up to 10%, beyond which ministerial approval is required, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
When Simons quit, the prime minister said he accepted the resignation "with sadness", expressing his thanks "for the commitment, focus, and energy you have brought to ministerial office".
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
He is expected to arrive at the WTO's 14th ministerial conference on Friday.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
He looked at the pile of sermon notes and felt the bulk of a ministerial education covering him.
From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
