Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - ministry

(ministries) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. In Britain and some other countries, a ministry is a government department which deals with a particular thing or area of activity, for example trade, defence, or transport. ...the Ministry of Justice. ...a spokesman for the Agriculture Ministry. N-COUNT: oft N of n, n N 2. The ministry of a religious person is the work that they do that is based on or inspired by their religious beliefs. His ministry is among the poor. N-COUNT: usu sing, usu with poss