ministry

The word “ministry” means a government department headed by a minister. In plain terms, a government department, or the calling and work of religious clergy.

“Ministry” is pronounced MIH-nihst-ree (/ˈmɪnɪstɹi/ in IPA).

Here is “ministry” used in a sentence: “The Ministry of Health issued new guidelines.”

“Ministry” is a noun.

The word “ministry” comes from Latin. From Old French menistere, going back to Latin ministerium, built on minister plus the noun-forming suffix "-y.".

“Ministry” is a very common word in modern English.

“Ministry” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a government department headed by a minister.

In many countries the words are interchangeable, as both name a branch of government with a specific remit. Where they differ, a ministry is headed by a minister, while in the United States the equivalent bodies are called departments and led by secretaries. British government uses both terms side by side.

Typical examples include the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Each handles one area of national policy and is led by a government minister. The exact names vary from country to country, but the pattern is the same.

A ministry is the organisation, meaning the department, its staff, and its budget. A minister is the individual politician who leads that ministry and answers for it. So the minister runs the ministry, much as a head teacher runs a school. One is a person; the other is an institution.

No. Besides a government department, ministry also means religious service, the work of the clergy, as in entering the ministry or a church's ministry to its community. The two senses are unrelated in daily use, so context makes clear whether politics or religion is the subject.