ministry

American  

[min-uh-stree] / ˈmɪn ə stri /

noun

• ministries
  plural

1. the service, functions, or profession of a minister of religion.

2. the body or class of ministers of religion; clergy.

3. the service, function, or office of a minister of state.

4. the body of ministers of state.

5. (usually initial capital letter) any of the administrative governmental departments of certain countries usually under the direction of a minister of state.

6. (usually initial capital letter) the building that houses such an administrative department.

7. the term of office of a minister of state.

8. an act or instance of ministering; ministration; service.

9. something that serves as an agency, instrument, or means.

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ministry British  

/ ˈmɪnɪstrɪ /

noun

1. 1. the profession or duties of a minister of religion

   2. the performance of these duties

2. ministers of religion or government ministers considered collectively

3. the tenure of a minister

4. 1. a government department headed by a minister

   2. the buildings of such a department

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preministry
  noun
• pseudoministry
  noun
• underministry
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ministries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ministry

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Latin ministerium, from minister minister + -ium -ium

Explanation

If you are discussing the duties of your minister or rabbi, you are talking about his or her ministry — the work the religious leader does in serving a congregation. The noun ministry also refers to a group of clergy. Even if you do not lead a religious community, you can still have a ministry, as the word means to provide information or services about an organization or cause. The charity can have a ministry to serve homeless people. The noun ministry can also refer to a government department. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Ministry of Defense oversees the armed forces. A ministry can also be the building where this sort of government work occurs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ministry ministries

The ministry said it could not say why his sentence was reduced.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

However, Israel's ministry of foreign affairs announced in May, external that it would procure another F-35 squadron.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

The Saudi energy ministry said technical teams were assessing the pipeline’s integrity and that any new developments would be announced in due course.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The reading from the internal affairs ministry, which excludes volatile fresh food prices, was lower than forecasts for 1.8 percent.

From Barron's

Kyung and her husband, Jung Kun Kim, head a small Christian ministry called the Ivy Global Mission.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

The foreign ministries of the Philippines and Taiwan declined to confirm or deny the authenticity of the hacked materials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

The government has recently moved state ministries to Pétion-Ville, located just below Kenscoff, from Port-au-Prince’s violent downtown.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

To make visits cooler, the ministries of tourism and culture are allowing some attractions to stay open into the evening.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

BBC News Pidgin found the agency had secured office space within the Federal Secretariat, the sprawling government complex housing many ministries in Abuja.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Jim went back to WHO, which serves as the coordinating body for virtually all of the world’s ministries of health.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

• bureau
• department