English · Word Candidate

ministerial

/ˌmɪnəˈstɪɹi.əl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: ministerials

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Related to a religious minister or ministry.

Adjective

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Related to a governmental minister or ministry.

Adjective

Examples

In over a quarter of a century of writing this column, there has been no end of scandals, mishaps, errors and general cock-ups resulting from ministerial incompetence.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

A member of the mediaeval estate or caste of unfree nobles.

Noun

Examples

By the time of the Nibelungenlied the word was used to denote a wide variety of usually ecclesiastic or royal administrators, from the lowest, unfree ministerial to an enfeoffed judge.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

A meeting of government ministers from partner countries.

Noun

Examples

The NATO ministerial was attended by the defence ministers of all member states.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “ministerial” mean?

Related to a religious minister or ministry.

Is “ministerial” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.