minister
Use Minister in a sentence
ə| to spend time idly; loaf. |
| chat, to converse |
1250–1300; (noun) Middle English ministre, minister (< Old French ministre) < Latin minister servant, equivalent to minis- (variant of minus a lesser amount; akin to minor minor) + -ter noun suffix; replacing Middle English menistre < Old French < Latin, as above; (v.) Middle English ministren < Old French ministrer < Latin ministrāre to act as a servant, attend, derivative of minister
Related forms
9. answer, tend, oblige.
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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minister (ˈmɪnɪstə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | (esp in Presbyterian and some Nonconformist Churches) a member of the clergy |
| 2. | a person appointed to head a government department |
| 3. | any diplomatic agent accredited to a foreign government or head of state |
| 4. | See envoy short for minister plenipotentiary or envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary |
| 5. | 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 |
| —vb (often foll by to) | |
| 8. | to attend to the needs (of); take care (of) |
| 9. | archaic (tr) to provide; supply |
| [C13: via Old French from Latin: servant; related to minus less] | |
| 'ministership | |
| —n | |
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minister
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minister definition
In many Protestant churches, the presiding clergyman. Ministers preach sermons; conduct services; officiate at baptisms, weddings, and funerals; and generally look after the needs of their congregation. Some Protestant churches refer to their clergy as pastors or preachers rather than ministers.
minister definition
A title used in many countries for members of cabinets and similar public officials, who are roughly equivalent to the officials in the United States cabinet. For example, a minister of foreign affairs will have duties similar to those of the secretary of state of the United States.
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Minister definition
one who serves, as distinguished from the master. (1.) Heb. meshereth, applied to an attendant on one of superior rank, as to Joshua, the servant of Moses (Ex. 33:11), and to the servant of Elisha (2 Kings 4:43). This name is also given to attendants at court (2 Chr. 22:8), and to the priests and Levites (Jer. 33:21; Ezek. 44:11). (2.) Heb. pelah (Ezra 7:24), a "minister" of religion. Here used of that class of sanctuary servants called "Solomon's servants" in Ezra 2:55-58 and Neh. 7:57-60. (3.) Greek leitourgos, a subordinate public administrator, and in this sense applied to magistrates (Rom. 13:6). It is applied also to our Lord (Heb. 8:2), and to Paul in relation to Christ (Rom. 15:16). (4.) Greek hyperetes (literally, "under-rower"), a personal attendant on a superior, thus of the person who waited on the officiating priest in the synagogue (Luke 4:20). It is applied also to John Mark, the attendant on Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:5). (5.) Greek diaconos, usually a subordinate officer or assistant employed in relation to the ministry of the gospel, as to Paul and Apollos (1 Cor. 3:5), Tychicus (Eph. 6:21), Epaphras (Col. 1:7), Timothy (1 Thess. 3:2), and also to Christ (Rom. 15:8).
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