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ministerial

American  
[min-uh-steer-ee-uhl] / ˌmɪn əˈstɪər i əl /

adjective

  1. pertaining to the ministry of religion, or to a minister or other member of the clergy.

  2. pertaining to a ministry or minister of state.

  3. pertaining to or invested with delegated executive authority.

  4. of ministry or service.

  5. serving as an instrument or means; instrumental.

ministerial British  
/ ˌmɪnɪˈstɪərɪəl /

adjective

  1. of or relating to a minister of religion or his office

  2. of or relating to a government minister or ministry

    a ministerial act

  3. (often capital) of or supporting the ministry or government against the opposition

  4. law relating to or possessing delegated executive authority

  5. law (of an office, duty, etc) requiring the following of instructions, without power to exercise any personal discretion in doing so

  6. acting as an agent or cause; instrumental

"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

Other Word Forms

  • antiministerial adjective
  • antiministerially adverb
  • interministerial adjective
  • ministerially adverb
  • nonministerial adjective
  • nonministerially adverb
  • pseudoministerial adjective
  • quasi-ministerial adjective
  • semiministerial adjective
  • unministerial adjective
  • unministerially adverb

Etymology

Origin of ministerial

1555–65; < Late Latin ministeriālis, equivalent to Latin ministeri ( um ) ministry + -ālis -al 1

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.

Otherwise, though, this was a prime ministerial address peppered with gloomy language.

From BBC

That’s because costs are passed on to consumers monthly through an automatic adjustment mechanism, which applies to changes of up to 10%, beyond which ministerial approval is required, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal

When Simons quit, the prime minister said he accepted the resignation "with sadness", expressing his thanks "for the commitment, focus, and energy you have brought to ministerial office".

From BBC

So far, only India has openly voiced disagreement with renewing the moratorium, according to several sources close to the discussions in Yaounde at the WTO's ministerial conference, the organisation's biennial supreme decision-making body.

From Barron's

The United States is set to come under scrutiny Friday on day two of the World Trade Organization's ministerial conference, with Washington wanting to shake up the multilateral trade system.

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.