minister

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Related to minister: Minister of State, cabinet minister

min·is·ter

(mĭn′ĭ-stər)

a. One who is authorized to perform religious functions in a Christian church, especially a Protestant church.

b. Roman Catholic Church The superior in certain orders.

2. A high officer of state appointed to head an executive or administrative department of government.

3. An authorized diplomatic representative of a government, usually ranking next below an ambassador.

4. A person serving as an agent for another by carrying out specified orders or functions.

v. min·is·tered, min·is·ter·ing, min·is·ters

v.intr.

1. To attend to the wants and needs of others: Volunteers ministered to the homeless after the flood. See Synonyms at tend².

2. To perform the functions of a cleric.

v.tr.

To administer or dispense (a sacrament, for example).

[Middle English ministre, from Old French, from Latin minister, servant; see mei- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

minister

(ˈmɪnɪstə)

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

2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a person appointed to head a government department

3. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) any diplomatic agent accredited to a foreign government or head of state

4. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) short for minister plenipotentiary or envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary. See envoy¹¹

5. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) 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

8. (often foll by: to) to attend to the needs (of); take care (of)

9. (tr) archaic to provide; supply

[C13: via Old French from Latin: servant; related to minus less]

ˈministerˌship n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

min•is•ter

(ˈmɪn ə stər)

n.

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 to some high office of state, esp. to that of head of an administrative department.

4. a diplomatic representative, usu. ranking below an ambassador.

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

v.i.

6. to perform the functions of a religious minister.

7. to give service, care, or aid: to minister to the hungry.

[1250–1300; (n.) Middle English (< Old French menistre) < Latin minister servant =minis-, variant of minus a lesser amount (see minor) + -ter n. suffix]

minister

Past participle: ministered
Gerund: ministering

Imperative
minister
minister

Present
I minister
you minister
he/she/it ministers
we minister
you minister
they minister

Preterite
I ministered
you ministered
he/she/it ministered
we ministered
you ministered
they ministered

Present Continuous
I am ministering
you are ministering
he/she/it is ministering
we are ministering
you are ministering
they are ministering

Present Perfect
I have ministered
you have ministered
he/she/it has ministered
we have ministered
you have ministered
they have ministered

Past Continuous
I was ministering
you were ministering
he/she/it was ministering
we were ministering
you were ministering
they were ministering

Past Perfect
I had ministered
you had ministered
he/she/it had ministered
we had ministered
you had ministered
they had ministered

Future
I will minister
you will minister
he/she/it will minister
we will minister
you will minister
they will minister

Future Perfect
I will have ministered
you will have ministered
he/she/it will have ministered
we will have ministered
you will have ministered
they will have ministered

Future Continuous
I will be ministering
you will be ministering
he/she/it will be ministering
we will be ministering
you will be ministering
they will be ministering

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been ministering
you have been ministering
he/she/it has been ministering
we have been ministering
you have been ministering
they have been ministering

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been ministering
you will have been ministering
he/she/it will have been ministering
we will have been ministering
you will have been ministering
they will have been ministering

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been ministering
you had been ministering
he/she/it had been ministering
we had been ministering
you had been ministering
they had been ministering

Conditional
I would minister
you would minister
he/she/it would minister
we would minister
you would minister
they would minister

Past Conditional
I would have ministered
you would have ministered
he/she/it would have ministered
we would have ministered
you would have ministered
they would have ministered

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

minister

A government officer who heads a department.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	minister - a person authorized to conduct religious worship; "clergymen are usually called ministers in Protestant churches" curate, minister of religion, parson, pastor, rector clergyman, man of the cloth, reverend - a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church ministrant - someone who serves as a minister
	2.	minister - a person appointed to a high office in the government; "Minister of Finance" government minister cabinet minister - a person who is a member of the cabinet executive, executive director - a person responsible for the administration of a business finance minister, minister of finance - the minister responsible for state finances foreign minister, secretary of state - a government minister for foreign relations
	3.	minister - a diplomat representing one government to another; ranks below ambassador diplomatic minister diplomat, diplomatist - an official engaged in international negotiations
	4.	minister - the job of a head of a government department public service - employment within a government system (especially in the civil service) cabinet minister - the job of a senior minister who is a member of the cabinet Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom
Verb	1.	minister - attend to the wants and needs of others; "I have to minister to my mother all the time" attend, take care, look, see - take charge of or deal with; "Could you see about lunch?"; "I must attend to this matter"; "She took care of this business"
	2.	minister - work as a minister; "She is ministering in an old parish" work - exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity; "I will work hard to improve my grades"; "she worked hard for better living conditions for the poor"

minister

noun

1. member of the government, secretary, politician, secretary of state, cabinet minister, political leader He was named minister of culture.

2. official, ambassador, diplomat, delegate, executive, administrator, envoy, cabinet member, office-holder, plenipotentiary He concluded a deal with the Danish minister in Washington.

3. clergyman, priest, divine, vicar, parson, preacher, pastor, chaplain, cleric, rector, curate, churchman, padre (informal), ecclesiastic His father was a Baptist minister.

verb

1. (often with to) attend, serve, tend, answer to, accommodate, take care of, cater to, pander to, administer to, be solicitous of For 44 years he had ministered to the poor and the sick.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

minister

noun

A person ordained for service in a Christian church:

churchman, churchwoman, clergyman, clergywoman, cleric, clerical, clerk, divine, ecclesiastic, parson, preacher.

Informal: reverend.

phrasal verb
minister to

1. To have the care and supervision of:

attend, care for, look after, mind, see to, tend, watch.

Idioms: keep an eye on, look out for, take care of, take under one's wing.

2. To work and care for:

attend, do for, serve, wait on (or upon).

Translations

كَاهِنٌكاهِنوَزيروَزِيرٌيَسْهَر على، يَرْعى، يُساعِد

ministrpastorpečovatpomáhat-yně

ministerpræstsørge forhjælpe

Minister Ministerin behilflich sein Geistliche Geistlicher

υπουργός αβάς διακονώ ιερέας

ministro pastor servir atender clérigo

ministeripappipalvelija

ministre pasteur prêtre abbé curé

ministarsvećenik

menteri

hlynna aîklerkur, presturráîherra

ministro pastore protestante provvedere a sacerdote sacerdozio

大臣聖職者

목사장관

dvasininko pareigoskunigystėministerijaministrasministrų

gādātmācītājsministrs

minister predikant dienaar

minister -minister prest statsråd yte hjelp til

minister duchowny

ministro pastor

министр священник исполнитель

minister

ministerministricaduhovnik

ministerpräst

พระผู้สอนศาสนารัฐมนตรี

bakan papaz rahip sağlamak vaiz

bộ trưởngmục sư

牧师部长服侍照料

minister

[ˈmɪnɪstəʳ]

A. N

1. (Pol) → ministro/a m/f, secretario/a m/f (Mex)
Prime Minister → primer(a) ministro/a m/f
the Minister for Education → el/la Ministro/a de Educación

2. (Rel) → pastor(a) m/f, clérigo/a m/f CHURCHES OF ENGLAND/SCOTLAND

B. VI to minister to sb → atender a algn
to minister to sb's needs → atender or satisfacer las necesidades de algn

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

minister

[ˈmɪnɪstə^r]

(British) (in government) → ministre m/f

(= priest) → pasteur m

vi
to minister to sb → donner ses soins à qn
to minister to sb's needs → pourvoir aux besoins de qn

minister

(Pol) → Minister(in) m(f)

(Eccl) → Pfarrer(in) m(f), → Pastor(in) m(f); good morning, minister → guten Morgen, Herr Pfarrer or Herr Pastor

vi to minister to somebody → sich um jdn kümmern; to minister to somebody’s needs/wants → jds Bedürfnisse/Wünsche (acc) → befriedigen; a ministering angel (liter) → ein barmherziger Engel

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

minister

[ˈmɪnɪstəʳ]

1. n (Brit) (Pol) → ministro (Rel) → pastore m
Minister for Defence → Ministro della Difesa

2. vi to minister to (sick person) → assistere
to minister to sb's needs → provvedere ai bisogni di qn
ministering angel (fig) → angelo del paradiso

minister

(ˈministə) noun

1. a clergyman in certain branches of the Christian Church. He is a minister in the Presbyterian church.

2. (the title of) the head of any of the divisions or departments of a government. the Minister for Education.

verb

(with to) to give help (to). She ministered to his needs.

ministerial (miniˈstiəriəl) adjective

of or concerning ministers. ministerial duties.

ˈministry – plural ˈministries – noun

1. the profession, duties or period of service of a minister of religion. His ministry lasted for fifteen years.

2. a department of government or the building where its employees work. the Transport Ministry.

minister

→ كَاهِنٌ, وَزِيرٌ ministr, pastor minister, præst Geistlicher, Minister ιερέας, υπουργός ministro, pastor ministeri, pappi ministre, pasteur ministar, svećenik ministro, sacerdote 大臣, 聖職者 목사, 장관 minister, predikant minister, prest duchowny, minister ministro, pastor министр, священник minister, präst พระผู้สอนศาสนา, รัฐมนตรี bakan, vaiz bộ trưởng, mục sư 牧师, 部长

minister

n. ministro; pastor.

References in classic literature ?

Though he dined out every day, and was lodged for the last nine years at the cost of the State, and driven about in the minister's equipage, des Lupeaulx possessed absolutely nothing, at the time when our tale opens, but thirty thousand francs of debt--undisputed property.

In addition to all this, des Lupeaulx complicated matters by believing in the friendship of his minister, to whom he had the imprudence to express the wish to sit on the ministerial benches.

View in context

And besides, we met the new minister and his wife coming from the station.

View in context

The minister of police, giving way to an impulse of despair, was about to throw himself at the feet of Louis XVIII., who retreated a step and frowned.

View in context

When Prince Andrew left the palace he felt that all the interest and happiness the victory had afforded him had been now left in the indifferent hands of the Minister of War and the polite adjutant.

View in context

The Duke of Devenham, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whose wife entertained for his party, and whose immense income, derived mostly from her American relations, was always at its disposal, was a person almost as important in the councils of his country as the Prime Minister himself.

View in context

Pollyanna was not sorry to hear Aunt Polly tell the minister's wife over the telephone, a little later, that she would not be at the Ladies' Aid meeting that afternoon, owing to a headache.

View in context

The minister himself was rather a favorite in the town.

View in context

There was finally a waiting pause, an expectant dumbness, and then Aunt Polly entered, followed by Sid and Mary, and they by the Harper family, all in deep black, and the whole congregation, the old minister as well, rose reverently and stood until the mourners were seated in the front pew.

View in context

"Comte de la Fere," replied Athos, bowing more slightly than the ceremonial and pride of the all-powerful minister required.

View in context

"Major Thomson," the Cabinet Minister began impressively, as he settled down in his chair, "I have come here to confer with you, to throw myself, to a certain extent, upon your understanding and your common sense," he added, speaking with the pleased air of a man sure of his ground and himself.

View in context

It was understood that this learned man was the physician as well as friend of the young minister, whose health had severely suffered of late by his too unreserved self-sacrifice to the labours and duties of the pastoral relation.