minister

noun

ˈmi-nə-stər How to pronounce minister (audio)
Definition of ministernext
1
as in ambassador
a person sent on a mission to represent another the British ministers at the international peace conference

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in priest
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church our minister gives an interesting sermon every week

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in deputy
a person who acts or does business for another she's merely a minister of the corporation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of minister But Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who could be in line to replace Reeves as finance minister under a new government, has argued the focus should instead be on clean energy. — Cameron Marshall,ritika Gupta, CNBC, 1 July 2026 In handing down the verdict, the judges said his actions ran counter to Indonesia’s anti-graft efforts and were carried out systematically, while noting as a mitigating factor that the former minister had no prior criminal conviction. — Chandra Asmara, Fortune, 30 June 2026 Justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said South Africa had learned lessons from the unrest in 2021, which was triggered by the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 1 July 2026 While theology and ministry studies were designated as nonprofessional, the master of divinity degree often pursued by eventual pastors or ministers does retain professional status. — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for minister
Recent Examples of Synonyms for minister
  1. ambassador
  2. priest
  3. deputy
  4. envoy
  5. preacher
  6. delegate
  7. representative
  8. clergyman
Noun
  • My family was comfortable in the sense that my mother worked for the Canadian ambassador as their main cook.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026
  • As an ambassador for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, Howard is conscious of what his appearance at The Open could mean to younger people living with the condition and to their families.
    — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of ambassador
Noun
  • In places such as Taiwan, Daoist priests can be seen today conducting rituals at community temples and annual festivals.
    — Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
  • At the moment the priest elevated the host during the consecration — the most sacred moment of the Catholic Mass, when Catholics believe bread becomes the body of Christ — thunder cracked loudly overhead.
    — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026
Definition of priest
Noun
  • Travis Medema, chief deputy for the Oregon State Fire Marshall, said his office will use FireSat to plan escape routes and monitor fires.
    — Eric Niiler, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • With the help of a family friend, a retired deputy sheriff, Robinson’s parents persuaded him to surrender to authorities, according to charging documents.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of deputy
Noun
  • The talks come after the Qatari prime minister met with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Tuesday to discuss ongoing US-Iran talks and regional developments.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
  • Kushner has joined fellow peace envoy Steve Witkoff in Doha, Qatar, a country acting as mediator between the two sides, to hammer out a resolution.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Definition of envoy
Noun
  • The dynamic duo of Jonda Valentine, an artist and daughter of a Pentecostal preacher, and her longtime friend Christa Suppan, who started as a bartender when Lipstick first opened, share co-ownership of the two bars.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 July 2026
  • The street preacher asks if someone could be cited if a transgender person is offended if they are misgendered by another person.
    — Emily Holshouser July 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026
Definition of preacher
Noun
  • The celebration comes 250 years after delegates in Philadelphia approved the Declaration, setting in motion what would become the world's oldest continuing experiment in self-government.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • That hot summer in Philadelphia, the 56 delegates of the Continental Congress who signed the historic document spent a lot of time in nearby taverns, drinking beer and discussing and debating the merits of trying to become an independent nation.
    — Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
Definition of delegate
Noun
  • Swift's representative confirmed that the actor-comedian officiated the July 3 ceremony at Madison Square Garden.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • Some states chose not to send representatives; several of them cited disagreements with the partisan mission.
    — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 3 July 2026
Definition of representative
Noun
  • Robin, our hero, is the son of a country clergyman.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
  • The trio of vicars starts with James Norton as Sidney Chambers, the doe-eyed clergyman with a taste for cool jazz and clever women.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 14 June 2026
Definition of clergyman

Phrases Containing minister

Browse Nearby Words

ministates
minister
ministered (to)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Minister.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/minister. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on minister

Nglish: Translation of minister for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All