Etymology

ministry

mi·nis·try
M3I1N1I1S1T1R1Y4

Today it means: A government department at the administrative level, normally headed by a minister (or equivalent rank, e.g. secretary of state), who holds it as portfolio, especially in a constitutional monarchy, but also as a polity. Full definition →

Middle English mynisterie ← Old French menistere ← Latin ministerium
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The story

  1. Latin · derived fromministerium
  2. Old French · derived frommenistere
  3. Middle English · inherited frommynisterie
  4. English todayministry

From Middle English mynisterie, borrowed from Old French menistere, in turn borrowed itself from Latin ministerium; equivalent to minister + -y.

Words from the same roots

Latinministerium all →

misterminstrelminstrelsy

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.