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ministerial

adj
/ˌmɪnəˈstɪɹi.əl/

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French ministeriel, equivalent to minister + -ial. Doublet of minstrel and ministerialis.

  1. borrowed from ministeriel

Definitions

  1. Related to a religious minister or ministry.

  2. Related to a governmental minister or ministry.

    • In over a quarter of a century of writing this column, there has been no end of scandals, mishaps, errors and general cock-ups resulting from ministerial incompetence.

  3. Having the power to wield delegated executive authority.

  4. ›+ 3 more definitions

    1. Serving as an instrument or means (i.e., procedural or ancillary, not substantive).

      • Filling out the form under the direction of a lawyer is a ministerial task performed by a legal secretary.

    2. A member of the mediaeval estate or caste of unfree nobles.

      • By the time of the Nibelungenlied the word was used to denote a wide variety of usually ecclesiastic or royal administrators, from the lowest, unfree ministerial to an enfeoffed judge.

    3. A meeting of government ministers from partner countries.

      • The NATO ministerial was attended by the defence ministers of all member states.

The neighborhood

Derived

antiministerial, interministerial, intraministerial, ministerial box, ministerial code, ministerialist, ministerialitis, ministerially, ministerialness, nonministerial, pseudoministerial, subministerial, unministerial

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for ministerial. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA