ministerial

[min-uh-steer-ee-uhl]

adjective

1. pertaining to the ministry of religion, or to a minister or other member of the clergy.

2. pertaining to a ministry or minister of state.

3. pertaining to or invested with delegated executive authority.

4. of ministry or service.

5. serving as an instrument or means; instrumental.

ministerial

/ ˌmɪnɪˈstɪərɪəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a minister of religion or his office

2. of or relating to a government minister or ministry

   a ministerial act

3. (often capital) of or supporting the ministry or government against the opposition

4. law relating to or possessing delegated executive authority

5. law (of an office, duty, etc) requiring the following of instructions, without power to exercise any personal discretion in doing so

6. acting as an agent or cause; instrumental

Other Word Forms

• ministerially adverb
• antiministerial adjective
• antiministerially adverb
• interministerial adjective
• nonministerial adjective
• nonministerially adverb
• pseudoministerial adjective
• quasi-ministerial adjective
• semiministerial adjective
• unministerial adjective
• unministerially adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ministerial¹

1555–65; < Late Latin ministeriālis, equivalent to Latin ministeri ( um ) ministry + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

They resigned from their ministerial positions in government to take on their boss.

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That number will be narrowed down to two -- or even one -- at the agency's ministerial council in the German city of Bremen next month, Aschbacher said.

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Sunak was told not to advise on bidding for UK contracts, or to lobby the government for two years from his last day in ministerial office.

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Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who previously employed Mr Cash as a parliamentary researcher, said it was "inexplicable" that the trial would have collapsed "without either ministerial or national security advisor or executive involvement".

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Fracking is currently only limited by a suspension on ministerial decisions to grant licences.

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Related Words

• consular 
• diplomatic