ministry
/ˈmɪnɪstri
/noun (plural ministries)
1(In certain countries) a government department headed by a minister: the Ministry of Defence...
- Since arriving in China on Monday, Nowak has met with vice minister-level officials from the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Public Security.
- During Zhu's term, the Chinese government abolished 61 separate ministries and departments and laid off more than 1.15 million officials.
- Also coming out of the summit was a plan to reorganize government ministries, affecting 15 ministries and 156 associated departments.
Synonyms
government department, department, bureau, agency, office
2 [usually in singular] The work or vocation of a minister of religion: he is training for the ministry...
- The story is that as Hays struggled over his choice of vocation, the ministry or politics, the church and politics fought over him.
- We also discussed why Marian decided to train for the ministry, and her training so far.
- Does a decline in the social status of the ministry as a profession weaken recruitment?
Synonyms
holy orders, the priesthood, the cloth, the church
2.1The period of tenure of a minister of religion: a tablet in the church commemorates his ministry there...
- In the decades that followed his death, out of the circle of 12 that had accompanied him during his three years of ministry, 10 would die a martyr's death.
- Periodically in my ministry, we have done worship planning with groups of lay people.
- It was there that he lived during the time of the ministry and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Synonyms
period of office, term (of office), administration, incumbency
2.2The spiritual work or service of a Christian or a group of Christians, especially evangelism: a ministry of Christian healing...
- Selian is a health-care ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.
- He views this as a lay ministry of evangelism as Christian and Turks intermingle within the conflicts of war.
- Care Net is a U.S.-based evangelical Christian ministry that was featured in a W5 / CTV documentary last year.
Synonyms
teaching, preaching, evangelism
3(In certain countries) a period of government under one prime minister: Gladstone’s first ministry was outstanding...
- After the death of Canning and the failure of the Goderich ministry, Wellington became prime minister in January 1828.
- In his first ministry from 1868 to 1874, Gladstone implemented many government reforms.
- Governments in the faction period were usually short-lived; a ministry which lasted 12 months had done well.
4 [mass noun] rare The action of ministering to someone: the soldiers were no less in need of his ministry...
- But he also asked for help from the same people in the square to pray for him, to give him enough strength to continue in this ministry.
- Finally, he upheld patriarchy while delegating ministry and discipline even to women and children.
- But in general, church ministry is ministry to people who need help desperately - not to people who work.
Origin
Middle English (in sense 2): from Latin ministerium, from minister (see minister).
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