ministerial
adjective
min·is·te·ri·al
ˌmi-nə-ˈstir-ē-əl 
2
a
: being or having the characteristics of an act or duty prescribed by law as part of the duties of an administrative office
b
: relating to or being an act done after ascertaining the existence of a specified state of facts in obedience to a legal order without exercise of personal judgment or discretion
3
: acting or active as an agent
Examples of ministerial in a Sentence
She holds a ministerial office.
They function in a ministerial capacity in the embassy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Two years later, Thatcher’s 15-year prime ministerial reign was over.
—
Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2025
What To Know The Chinese embassy on Sunday pushed back against a joint statement issued by the U.K. and Australian foreign and defense ministers following their ministerial consultations in Sydney on Saturday.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
It was rescheduled and downgraded to a ministerial event on July 28 and July 29, with a second event taking place with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
—John Irish, USA Today, 25 July 2025
Despite teaching secular subjects, the court deemed his role sufficiently religious to fall under the ministerial exception, barring his discrimination claim under the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
—A.j. Schumann, Sun Sentinel, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ministerial
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2025
What To Know The Chinese embassy on Sunday pushed back against a joint statement issued by the U.K. and Australian foreign and defense ministers following their ministerial consultations in Sydney on Saturday.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
It was rescheduled and downgraded to a ministerial event on July 28 and July 29, with a second event taking place with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
—John Irish, USA Today, 25 July 2025
Despite teaching secular subjects, the court deemed his role sufficiently religious to fall under the ministerial exception, barring his discrimination claim under the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
—A.j. Schumann, Sun Sentinel, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ministerial
Cite this Entry
“Ministerial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ministerial. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ministerial
adjective
min·is·te·ri·al
ˌmin-ə-ˈstir-ē-əl
: of or relating to a minister or ministry
Legal Definition
ministerial
adjective
min·is·te·ri·al
ˌmi-nə-ˈstir-ē-əl
1
: being or having the characteristics of an act or duty prescribed by law as part of the duties of an administrative office
2
: relating to or being an act done after ascertaining the existence of a specified state of facts in obedience to legal and especially statutory mandate without exercise of personal judgment or discretion see also mandamus compare discretionary
3
: relating to a minister or ministry
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share