ministerial

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French ministeriel. Doublet of minstrel and ministerialis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌmɪnəˈstɪɹi.əl/, /-ˈstɪəɹ-/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

ministerial (comparative more ministerial, superlative most ministerial)

1. Related to a religious minister or ministry.
2. Related to a governmental minister or ministry.
   • 2023 November 15, Christian Wolmar, “Ministers should carry the can for ticket office fiasco”, in RAIL, number 996, page 46:

     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.

3. Having the power to wield delegated executive authority.
4. (especially law) Serving as an instrument or means (i.e., procedural or ancillary, not substantive).

   Filling out the form under the direction of a lawyer is a ministerial task performed by a legal secretary.

Synonyms

• (serving as an instrument or means): instrumental

Derived terms

• ministerial code
• ministerially

Related terms

• minister
• ministry
• ministerium
• prime ministerial

Translations

related to a religious minister or ministry

• Bulgarian: свещенически (bg) (svešteničeski)
• Finnish: papillinen, pappis- (fi)
• Portuguese: ministerial
• Swedish: administrativ (sv)
• Welsh: gweinidogol

related to a governmental minister or ministry

• Belarusian: міністэ́рскі (ministérski)
• Bulgarian: министерски (ministerski)
• Dutch: ministerieel (nl)
• Finnish: ministeri- (fi)
• French: ministériel (fr)
• Galician: ministerial
• Polish: ministerialny (pl)
• Portuguese: ministerial
• Romanian: ministerial (ro)
• Russian: министе́рский (ru) (ministérskij)
• Swedish: administrativ (sv)
• Ukrainian: міністе́рський (ministérsʹkyj)
• Welsh: gweinidogol

having the power to wield delegated executive authority

• Finnish: toimivaltainen
• French: ministériel (fr)
• Portuguese: ministerial
• Swedish: administrativ (sv)

serving as an instrument or means

• Finnish: avustava (fi)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• German: ^{(please verify)} ministeriell
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} ministeriale (it)
• Mongolian: ^{(please verify)} албан (alban)
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} ministerial (ro) m or n
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} ministerial (es)

Noun

ministerial (plural ministerials)

1. (historical) A member of the mediaeval estate or caste of unfree nobles.

Translations

unfree noble

• Dutch: ministeriaal m, dienstman m
• Finnish: ministeriaali
• French: ministériel (fr)
• German: Ministerial m, Dienstmann (de) m
• Portuguese: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can
• Swedish: prästerlig (sv)

Anagrams

• matrilinies

Catalan

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -al

Adjective

ministerial m or f (masculine and feminine plural ministerials)

1. ministerial

Portuguese

Adjective

ministerial m or f (plural ministeriais)

1. (ecclesiastical) ministerial (related to a religious minister or ministry)
2. (government) ministerial (related to a governmental minister or ministry)
3. ministerial (having the power to wield delegated executive authority)

Related terms

• ministério
• ministro

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French ministériel.

Adjective

ministerial m or n (feminine singular ministerială, masculine plural ministeriali, feminine and neuter plural ministeriale)

1. ministerial

Declension

Declension of ministerial

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	ministerial		ministerială	ministeriali	ministeriale
	definite	ministerialul		ministeriala	ministerialii	ministerialele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	ministerial		ministeriale	ministeriali	ministeriale
	definite	ministerialului		ministerialei	ministerialilor	ministerialelor

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ministeˈɾjal/ [mi.nis.t̪eˈɾjal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: mi‧nis‧te‧rial

Adjective

ministerial m or f (masculine and feminine plural ministeriales)

1. ministerial

Further reading

• “ministerial”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014