minister

Noun

1. A person who is trained to preach, to perform religious ceremonies, and to afford pastoral care at a Protestant church.
2. A person (either a layperson or an ordained clergy member) who is commissioned to perform some act on behalf of the Catholic Church.
3. A politician who heads a ministry
4. In diplomacy, the rank of diplomat directly below ambassador.
5. A servant; a subordinate; an officer or assistant of inferior rank; hence, an agent, an instrument.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To attend to (the needs of); to tend; to take care (of); to give aid; to give service.
2. (intransitive) To function as a clergyman or as the officiant in church worship.
3. (archaic, transitive) To afford, to give, to supply.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmɪn.əˌstɚ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: ministre

Inherited from Middle English: mynystren

In summary

From Middle English ministre, from Old French ministre, from Latin minister (“an attendant, servant, assistant, a priest's assistant or other under official”), from minor (“less”) + -ter; see minor. Doublet of Minorite.

Synonyms

priest

pastor

clergyman

preacher

secretary

parson

counsellor

serve

reverend

envoy

ambassador

diplomat

cleric

father

👨‍👦

official

minister of religion

nurse

rector

abbot

monk

statesman

cabinet minister

consul

missionary

secretary of State

curate

cabinet member

diplomatic minister

Secretary of State

brother

👨‍👦

superintendent

look after

vizier

representative

administer

clergy

wait on

government minister

churchman

functionary

attend

abbé

officer

presbyter

diplomatic body

care for

dependent

cure

care

allow

Translations

ministre

ministro

ministro

Minister

ministro

minister

minister

ministre

υπουργός

bakan

pastor

Pfarrer

Pastor

وزير

clérigo

Sentences

He remains Finland's longest-serving prime minister .