Other forms: ministries
A ministry is a government department, or religious service. The Ministry of Defence, enter the ministry, a ministry of the church.
The two senses share a root that means service: a minister is a servant, which is a description most politicians would not choose. In Britain some departments are ministries and others are called offices or departments, for no reason except history.
1nounministryA government department.
“She works at the Ministry of Health in the capital.”
2nounreligiousReligious service or office.
“After twenty years as a teacher, he left to enter the ministry and became a priest.”
ministry is a department, or a service.
Latin ministerium means service or office, from minister, a servant, from minus, less. Minister is the opposite of magister, a master.
Latin
ministerium
Old French
menistere
Middle English
mynisterie
English, today
ministry
From Middle English mynisterie, borrowed from Old French menistere, in turn borrowed itself from Latin ministerium; equivalent to minister + -y.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA