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minister

/ˈmɪn.əˌstɚ/
nounverb

A person who is trained to preach, to perform religious ceremonies, and to afford pastoral care at a Protestant church.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Noun 4 meanings

  1. A person who is trained to preach, to perform religious ceremonies, and to afford pastoral care at a Protestant church.

    “The minister said a prayer on behalf of the entire congregation.”

  2. A person (either a layperson or an ordained clergy member) who is commissioned to perform some act on behalf of the Catholic Church.

  3. A politician who heads a ministry

    “He was newly appointed to be Minister of the Interior.”

  4. In diplomacy, the rank of diplomat directly below ambassador.

Verb 2 meanings

  1. To attend to (the needs of); to tend; to take care (of); to give aid; to give service.

  2. To function as a clergyman or as the officiant in church worship.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

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.

MINISTER at a glance

MINISTER has 8 letters and scores 10 points in Scrabble (M 3 + I 1 + N 1 + I 1 + S 1 + T 1 + E 1 + R 1) and 12 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #934 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.

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