(ministries)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
In Britain and some other countries, a ~ is a government department which deals with a particular thing or area of activity, for example trade, defence, or transport.
...the Ministry of Justice.
...a spokesman for the Agriculture Ministry.
N-COUNT: oft N of n, n N
2.
The ~ of a religious person is the work that they do that is based on or inspired by their religious beliefs.
His ~ is among the poor.
N-COUNT: usu sing, usu with poss