Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

minister

American  
[min-uh-ster] / ˈmɪn ə stər /

noun

  1. a person authorized to conduct religious worship; member of the clergy; pastor.

  2. a person authorized to administer sacraments, as at Mass.

  3. a person appointed by or under the authority of a sovereign or head of a government to some high office of state, especially to that of head of an administrative department.

    the minister of finance.

  4. a diplomatic representative accredited by one government to another and ranking next below an ambassador.

  5. a person acting as the agent or instrument of another.

verb (used with object)

  1. to administer or apply.

    to minister the last rites.

  2. Archaic. to furnish; supply.

verb (used without object)

  1. to perform the functions of a religious minister.

  2. to give service, care, or aid; attend, as to wants or necessities..

    to minister to the needs of the hungry.
    Synonyms:
    oblige, tend, answer

  3. to contribute, as to comfort or happiness.

minister British  
/ ˈmɪnɪstə /

noun

  1. (esp in Presbyterian and some Nonconformist Churches) a member of the clergy

  2. a person appointed to head a government department

  3. any diplomatic agent accredited to a foreign government or head of state

  4. short for minister plenipotentiary or envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary See envoy 1

  5. Also called (in full): minister resident.  a diplomat ranking after an envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary

  6. a person who attends to the needs of others, esp in religious matters

  7. a person who acts as the agent or servant of a person or thing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to attend to the needs (of); take care (of)

  2. archaic (tr) to provide; supply

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
minister 1 Cultural  

  1. In many Protestant churches, the presiding clergyman. Ministers preach sermons; conduct services; officiate at baptisms, weddings, and funerals; and generally look after the needs of their congregation. Some Protestant churches refer to their clergy as pastors or preachers rather than ministers.

minister 2 Cultural  

  1. A title used in many countries for members of cabinets and similar public officials, who are roughly equivalent to the officials in the United States cabinet. For example, a minister of foreign affairs will have duties similar to those of the secretary of state of the United States.

Other Word Forms

  • ministership noun
  • preminister verb (used without object)
  • subminister noun
  • underminister noun
  • unministered adjective

Etymology

Origin of minister

First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the noun) Middle English minister, ministre, from Old French ministre, from Latin minister “servant,” from minus “less” (adverb form of minor minor ) + -ter, noun suffix; (for the verb) Middle English ministren, from Old French ministrer, from Latin ministrāre “to act as a servant, attend,” derivative of minister; master ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"If the ultimate objective is to ensure forever that Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, I think we have cracked that problem through these negotiations," the foreign minister said.

From Barron's

Shrinkhala Khatiwada, a former Miss Nepal and daughter of a former health minister - who was reported to have more than a million followers at one point - appears to have shut her Instagram account down entirely.

From BBC

Khamenei was appointed to several posts: first as deputy defense minister, then imam for Tehran’s Friday prayers and, crucially, a supervisor for the Revolutionary Guard.

From Los Angeles Times

The deputy first minister has said a registration scheme is likely to be launched for people from Northern Ireland living in the Middle East.

From BBC

Although there is currently no communication with Washington, "if the Americans want to talk to us, they know how they can contact me," the Iranian minister said, adding he was "clearly interested in de-escalation".

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.