Minister — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Minister (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. a person sent on a mission to represent another

   "the British ministers at the international peace conference"

   similar: agent, ambassador, delegate, emissary, envoy, legate, representative
   related: ambassadress, attaché, chargé d'affaires, consul, deputy, diplomat, foreign minister, nuncio, procurator, proxy, apostle, evangelist, missionary, deputation, detachment, legation, courier, messenger, mouthpiece, spokesperson

2. a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church

   "our minister gives an interesting sermon every week"

   similar: clergyperson, cleric, clerical, clerk, deacon, divine, dominie, ecclesiastic, preacher, priest, reverend
   related: churchman, clergyman, father, Holy Joe (slang), padre, clergywoman, deaconess, priestess, abbot, archbishop, archpriest, bishop, dean, diocesan, monsignor, pope, prelate, presbyter, abbé, curate, curé, parson, pastor, rector, shepherd, vicar, chaplain, confessor, sky pilot, evangelist, missionary, missioner, missionizer, revivalist, friar, mendicant, monastic, monk, oblate, religious, high priest, high priestess
   opposite: layman, layperson, secular
   near: lay reader, lector

3. a person who acts or does business for another

   "she's merely a minister of the corporation"

   similar: agent, assignee, attorney, commissary, delegate, deputy, envoy, factor, procurator, proxy, rep, representative
   related: ambassador, diplomat, diplomatist, emissary, foreign minister, legate, plenipotentiary, alternate, backup, pinch hitter, relief, replacement, stand-in, sub, substitute, surrogate, understudy, informer, operative, spy, broker, distributor, manager, arbiter, arbitrator, comprador, conciliator, go-between, intercessor, intermediary, interposer, liaison, mediator, middleman, peacemaker, mouthpiece, point man, point person, prophet, speaker, spokesman, spokesperson