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ministerial

American  
[min-uh-steer-ee-uhl] / ˌmɪn əˈstɪər i əl /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

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.

Murphy was a Labour MP for 18 years and held ministerial jobs in the New Labour years, including as Europe minister and Scottish secretary.

From BBC

One, depicting two young men discussing their fathers’ ministerial appointments, is captioned: “Ashley’s Pater’s got Agriculture and Fisheries.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Burnham, who held a range of ministerial positions before standing down to become Mayor of Greater Manchester, is widely seen as a potential leadership challenger to Sir Keir should he return to Westminster.

From BBC

Stormont Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has said there is "no evidence to back up" the findings of a standards watchdog which found that he broke the ministerial code of conduct.

From BBC

Rayner was forced to resign as deputy prime minister and housing secretary last year after the PM's ethics adviser concluded she had breached the ministerial code.

From BBC

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.