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Showing results for ministry. Search instead for preministry.
Synonyms

ministry

American  
[min-uh-stree] / ˈmɪn ə stri /

noun

plural

ministries

  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.

ministry British  
/ ˈmɪnɪstrɪ /

noun

    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

    1. a government department headed by a minister

    2. the buildings of such a department

"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

  • preministry noun
  • pseudoministry noun
  • underministry noun

Etymology

Origin of ministry

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

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.

The ministry said the toll also included 53 healthcare workers.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

The ministry said in a statement that its deal with the US designated Uganda as a safe third country for migrants who cannot return to their countries, for reasons such as persecution.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

An estimated 1,300 have been killed in Lebanon, according to its health ministry, while more than two dozen people have died in Gulf states and the occupied West Bank.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

But Paul Wyatt, director general for security policy at the UK defence ministry, said Europe and the United States needed each other.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

He then pursued his studies with more vigor than before and decided at last to enter the ministry.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

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.