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minister

/ˈmɪn.əˌstɚ/ noun

Latin root: minister Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about minister at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. A person authorized to conduct religious worship.
    clergymen are usually called ministers in Protestant churches
  2. A person appointed to a high office in the government.
    Minister of Finance
  3. A diplomat representing one government to another; ranks below ambassador.

verb

  1. Attend to the wants and needs of others.
    I have to minister to my mother all the time
  2. Work as a minister.
    She is ministering in an old parish

Origin

From Middle English ministre, from Old French ministre, from Latin minister (“an attendant, servant, assistant, a priest's assistant or other under official”), from minor (“less”) + -ter; see minor. Doublet of Minorite.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)