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
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
Ukrainian defense ministry capture Watching and waiting outside the ruins of Ulakly in eastern Ukraine in recent days, Ukrainian drones demonstrated how Kyiv’s drone crews and artillery gunners work together to spot, track, fix and finish off Russian assault troops.
—David Axe, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
More than 70,000 French soldiers served in Afghanistan, according to France's defense ministry.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian foreign ministry for comment.
—Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
Beijing responded to the Trump administration's latest tariff hike by slapping additional tariffs of 10-15% on a variety of U.S. agricultural imports, including chicken, pork, soy and beef, starting next week, China's finance ministry announced.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ministry
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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David Axe, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
More than 70,000 French soldiers served in Afghanistan, according to France's defense ministry.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian foreign ministry for comment.
—Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
Beijing responded to the Trump administration's latest tariff hike by slapping additional tariffs of 10-15% on a variety of U.S. agricultural imports, including chicken, pork, soy and beef, starting next week, China's finance ministry announced.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ministry
Cite this Entry
“Ministry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ministry. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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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