# ministerial

/ˌmɪnɪˈstiɹiəɫ/ (US) · /mˌɪnɪstˈiəɹɪəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ministerial
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. government administration

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

relating to a government minister or their department.

For teachers: pertaining to a government minister or the administrative department they oversee.

- The prime minister made several ministerial changes to the cabinet this morning.
- The ministerial task force was established to address the housing crisis, drawing experts from across several government departments.

Usage: Commonly used in collocations like 'ministerial post', 'ministerial responsibility', or 'ministerial decree'.

### 2. religious service

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

relating to a priest or a minister in a church.

For teachers: relating to the office or functions of a religious minister or the clergy.

- He felt a ministerial calling and decided to join the church.
- The bishop's ministerial duties included visiting remote parishes and overseeing the ordination of new deacons.

Usage: Often describes the specific work or 'calling' of a member of the clergy.

### 3. procedural or delegated

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical · Formal

describing a task that must be done exactly as ordered, without using personal judgment.

For teachers: describing an act or duty performed according to legal instructions without the exercise of personal judgment or discretion.

- The clerk's job was purely ministerial, as he simply had to sign the papers.
- The court ruled that the official's failure to file the document was a breach of a ministerial duty rather than a discretionary one.

Teaching tip: In legal contexts, 'ministerial' is the opposite of 'discretionary'; it means the person has no choice but to follow the rule.

### 4. high-level meeting

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a formal meeting between government ministers from different countries.

For teachers: a formal conference or meeting attended by government ministers, typically to discuss international policy.

- The trade ministerial ended without a final agreement on taxes.
- The upcoming WTO ministerial is expected to focus on agricultural subsidies and digital trade regulations.

## Examples

- The ministerial decision changed the new law.
- The ministerial committee met to discuss the budget.
- The ministerial decree overrode the local council's previous ruling.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.