ministry
noun
min·is·try ˈmi-nə-strē 
plural ministries
1
: ministration
the ingenuity of destruction … had outrun the ministry of healing
Dixon Wecter
Dixon Wecter2
: the office, duties, or functions of a minister
was well prepared for the ministry
3
: the body of ministers of religion : clergy
joined the Presbyterian ministry
4
: a person or thing through which something is accomplished : agency, instrumentality
heroic believers become such by the ministry of heroic pain Austin Phelps
Austin Phelps5
: the period of service or office of a minister or ministry
Many reforms were enacted during his ministry.
6
often capitalized
a
: the body of ministers governing a nation or state from which a smaller cabinet (see cabinet entry 1 sense 3b) is sometimes selected
b
: the group of ministers constituting a cabinet
7
a
: a government department presided over by a minister
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
b
: the building in which the business of a ministry is transacted
Synonyms
- agency
- agent
- instrument
- instrumentality
- machinery
- means
- medium
- organ
- vehicle
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a member of the ministry She learned a lot during her first year of ministry.
Recent Examples on the Web The ministry also said that Russian military academies were shortening training courses so cadets could be deployed sooner. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2022 The ministry said that the Rosneft subsidiaries imported crude oil worth several hundred million euros from Russia to Germany every month. Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022 The ministry said Russian forces are making the most gains north of Donetsk city, around Avdiivka and Bakhmut. Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2022 The ministry also said Apple could have taken better measures to address environmental waste by adopting the USB-C port for iPhones, rather than continue to rely on the proprietary Lightning port. Michael Kan, PCMAG, 6 Sep. 2022 The rescuers hope to reach the camp by midnight and continue upwards the next morning at dawn, the ministry said. Tara Subramaniam, CNN, 5 Sep. 2022 The ministry said the espionage charges dated back to 2015 and 2009, Reuters reported. Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 4 Sep. 2022 The ministry said that four Russian fighter jets and two helicopter gunships destroyed about 20 boats and the others turned back. Joanna Kozlowska, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Sep. 2022 The ministry said the results would be only one of the many factors determining BTS members' military status. Hyung-jin Kim, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2022 See More
Patrick Smith, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2022 The ministry said that the Rosneft subsidiaries imported crude oil worth several hundred million euros from Russia to Germany every month. Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022 The ministry said Russian forces are making the most gains north of Donetsk city, around Avdiivka and Bakhmut. Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2022 The ministry also said Apple could have taken better measures to address environmental waste by adopting the USB-C port for iPhones, rather than continue to rely on the proprietary Lightning port. Michael Kan, PCMAG, 6 Sep. 2022 The rescuers hope to reach the camp by midnight and continue upwards the next morning at dawn, the ministry said. Tara Subramaniam, CNN, 5 Sep. 2022 The ministry said the espionage charges dated back to 2015 and 2009, Reuters reported. Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 4 Sep. 2022 The ministry said that four Russian fighter jets and two helicopter gunships destroyed about 20 boats and the others turned back. Joanna Kozlowska, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Sep. 2022 The ministry said the results would be only one of the many factors determining BTS members' military status. Hyung-jin Kim, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English ministerie, minstri "personal service, religious office, position in a church," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French ministere "service, duty," going back to Old French, borrowed from Latin ministerium "activity of a servant, duty, task, support" (Late Latin, "ecclesiastical service") from minister "servant, minister entry 1" + -ium, denominal suffix of occupations
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing ministry
Kids Definition
ministry
noun
min·is·try ˈmi-nə-strē
plural ministries
1
: the office or duties of a religious minister
2
: a group of religious ministers : clergy
3
: a section of a government headed by a minister
the ministry of transportation
ministry
noun
1
as in instrumentality
something used to achieve an end I don't care by what ministry it's accomplished, so long as it's done Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- instrumentality
- vehicle
- instrument
- means
- agent
- agency
- organ
- machinery
- power
- factor
- mechanism
- tool
- incentive
- influence
- medium
- ingredient
- impetus
- catalyst
- weapon
- driver
- cause
- expedient
- reason
- stimulus
- determinant
- generator
- inspiration
- executor
- mover
- occasion
- animator
- activator
- instigation
- instigator
- launcher
- antecedent
- subagency
- energizer
- trigger
- subagent
2
as in clergy
the group ordained to perform clerical functions in the Christian church the ranks of the ministry have dwindled considerably in recent years Synonyms & Similar Words
- clergy
- church
- spirituality
- episcopate
- priesthood
- presbytery
- hierarchy
- first estate
- spiritualty
- cloth
- diaconate
- clerkship
- monkhood
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- laity
- tuber fern
- tuber flea beetle
- tuber indexing
- tuber line
- tuber moth
- tuber root
- Tuberaceae
- tuberaceaes
- tuberaceous
- Tuberales
- tuberaleses
- tuberalesses
- tubercle
- tubercle bacillus
- tubercle of Darwin
- tubercled
- tubercled orchid
- tubercled orchis
- tubercles
- tubercul-
- tubercular
- tuberculare
- Tubercularia
- Tuberculariaceae
- tuberculariaceaes