minister
Definitions
A senior member of a government in charge of a department.
（政府的）部长，大臣。
A member of the clergy, especially in Protestant churches.
牧师（尤指新教）。
To attend to someone's needs; to give care or help (minister to).
照料，服侍（minister to）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin minister, 'an attendant, a servant' — literally a minus, a 'lesser one,' the opposite of magister, the 'master.' The servant who carried out duties became the one who manages them: the government minister who runs a department, and the church minister who 'serves' a congregation. The verb keeps the old humble sense: to minister to someone is to wait on and care for them.
Root minu still carries 49 more wordsWhy It Means This
Minister is the family's great social climber. It began as a word for the lowest helper — a minister was a minus, a 'lesser one,' set against magister, the 'greater one' (which gave us 'master' and 'magistrate'). Because servants are the ones who actually carry tasks out, the word drifted upward: first to anyone who serves a function, then to the high officials who 'serve' the state — today's cabinet ministers. The religious sense follows the same logic: a minister serves God and the congregation.
Common Collocations
- 1.prime minister首相，总理
- 2.finance minister财政部长
- 3.foreign minister外交部长
- 4.minister to the sick照料病人
Example Sentences
- 1.
The finance minister announced the new budget today.
- 2.
The minister led the Sunday service at the church.
- 3.
Nurses ministered to the wounded throughout the night.