ministry
Pluralministries
- 1A part of a government that takes care of one area, like health or money, led by a minister.
Like one team in a company, where each team handles a different job.
The ministry announced new rules for hospitals last week.
She works for the ministry that handles schools and teachers.
UsageSay ministry of health or the health ministry.
Similardepartment, office, bureau
Note
- 2Work done to serve and help others, especially spiritual or caring work done for a church or faith.
Like volunteering to help people, done as part of your faith.
Their ministry feeds hundreds of homeless people each week.
She devoted her life to ministry among the poor.
UsageOften ministry among or to people: ministry among the poor.
Note
- 3The job and work of a religious leader, such as a pastor or priest.
Like learning to be a teacher, but for leading a religion.
He felt called to the ministry after years of volunteering.
After forty years as a pastor, he retired from the ministry.
UsageOften the ministry: to enter the ministry means to become a pastor or priest.
Similarpastorate, priesthood
- 4All the ministers who run the government together under a prime minister.
Like a sports team's whole coaching staff working under one head coach.
The new ministry promised lower taxes and better roads.
When the prime minister quit, her whole ministry left with her.
Similargovernment, cabinet, administration
Note
Less common meaning
- 5The pastors and other clergy of certain Protestant churches, taken as a group.
Like the group of all the pastors in a church, working together.
Nearly all of the town's Baptist ministry signed the letter to the mayor.
The Methodist ministry in our state was split over the new rules.
UsageOften the + a church name: the Methodist ministry.
Similarclergy
Oppositelaity
Practice
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Origin
It came from Latin "ministerium," through Old French "menistere" and Middle English "mynisterie." It matches "minister" plus "-y," but English borrowed it whole.
Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- Ministry comes through Middle English mynisterie. en.wiktionary.org
- The Middle English word came through Old French menistere. en.wiktionary.org
- The ultimate source was Latin ministerium. en.wiktionary.org
- The word was borrowed through French. Minister plus -y describes its equivalent structure, not its historical formation in English. en.wiktionary.org