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ministry

Pronunciation: /ˈmɪnɪstri/
Translate ministry | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of ministry

noun (plural ministries)

  • 1(in certain countries) a government department headed by a minister:the Ministry of Defence
  • 2 [usually in singular] the work or vocation of a minister of religion:he is training for the ministry
  • the period of tenure of a minister of religion: a tablet in the church commemorates his ministry there
  • the spiritual work or service of a Christian or a group of Christians, especially evangelism: a ministry of Christian healing
  • 3(in certain countries) a period of government under one Prime Minister: Gladstone’s first ministry was outstanding
  • 4 [mass noun] rare the action of ministering to someone: the soldiers were no less in need of his ministry

Origin:

Middle English (in ministry (sense 2)): from Latin ministerium, from minister (see minister)

Spelling help

The ending of ministry is spelled -try.

ministry in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of ministry in the US English dictionary

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