Ministers

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Individuals designated by a government to direct specific departments and make decisions about laws and policy
2. Authority figures tasked with executing governmental duties and overseeing public administration across various sectors
3. People appointed to head particular branches of the government and manage policy areas

Etymology: Latin "minister" originally meant a servant or attendant, and it was built from a comparative adjective. Its root is "minor," meaning "less," so a minister was, in the most literal sense, the lesser one, the person who served a greater master. Roman usage applied the word to household staff, assistants and subordinate officials, and it also came to cover a priest's assistant. The word reached English in the Middle Ages through Old French "ministre," and the earliest English senses were religious, referring to clergy who served the church and its sacraments. The verb "minister," meaning to attend to someone's needs or to supply something, came into English from Middle French "ministrer," which itself came from Latin "ministrō." The sense of a government official, a person heading a department of state, developed later, as governments grew and needed people to carry out their business.

Synonyms: leaders, officials, administrators, heads, representatives