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
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
Examples of ministry in a Sentence
a member of the ministry
She learned a lot during her first year of ministry.
Recent Examples on the Web
Newsweek has contacted the Pentagon and the Russian foreign ministry for comment.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
According to Anton Gerashchenko, a former advisor to the interior ministry in Kyiv, the explosion damaged three ships, including two Gepard-class frigates—the fleet’s biggest ships—as well as a smaller Buyan corvette.
—David Axe, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Sixteen of the suspects were employed at government ministries.
—Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
The finance ministry has emphasized its focus on addressing local government debt problems.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ministry 
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Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
According to Anton Gerashchenko, a former advisor to the interior ministry in Kyiv, the explosion damaged three ships, including two Gepard-class frigates—the fleet’s biggest ships—as well as a smaller Buyan corvette.
—David Axe, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Sixteen of the suspects were employed at government ministries.
—Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
The finance ministry has emphasized its focus on addressing local government debt problems.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ministry
Dictionary Entries Near ministry
Cite this Entry
“Ministry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ministry. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ministry
noun
min·is·try
ˈmin-ə-strē
plural ministries
1
: the action of ministering
2
: the office, duties, or work of a minister
3
a
: the body of ministers governing a nation or state
b
: a government department headed by a minister
c
: the building in which a ministry is housed
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