Ministerial

pertaining to the ministry of religion, or to a or other member of the clergy.
pertaining to a ministry or of state.
pertaining to or invested with delegated executive authority.
of ministry or service.
serving as an instrument or means; instrumental.
contemporary examples

the sisters, who volunteered for relief work in addition to ministerial service through their order, were extraordinary women.
caught: female -ss-ssin who allegedly murdered five american nuns barbie latza nadeau september 21, 2014

netanyahu faces opposition to a strike both within the military and in his own ministerial cabinet.
bombing iran is risky—but doable dan ephron november 7, 2011

the “ministerial exemption” covers minister-like people, too.
why progressives just woke up and killed enda jay michaelson july 8, 2014

no wonder he has already referred it to his also recently-created “ministerial committee on settlement affairs.”
the anti-balfour declaration hussein ibish july 9, 2012

but in order to succeed, the band of ministerial mavericks needs to capitalize on their momentum.
argentina’s drag & drop democracy jeff campagna march 11, 2014

historical examples

this last feature of their ministerial character was most especially exemplified in the commons by mr. disraeli.
the history of england in three volumes, vol.iii. e. farr and e. h. nolan

and further still, the ministerial union of elmira did not write it.
mark twain, a biography, 1835-1910, complete albert bigelow paine

the censure was carried in the lords by nine votes, but was defeated in the commons by a ministerial majority of eighteen.
great britain and the american civil war ephraim dougl-ss adams

simion petrovitch was a chamberlain, and served in the ministerial court.
virgin soil ivan s. turgenev

the nervous father clenched the railing in a daze, and cowered before the ministerial heckling.
auld licht idylls j. m. barrie

adjective
of or relating to a minister of religion or his office
of or relating to a government minister or ministry: a ministerial act
(often capital) of or supporting the ministry or government against the opposition
(law) relating to or possessing delegated executive authority
(law) (of an office, duty, etc) requiring the following of instructions, without power to exercise any personal discretion in doing so
acting as an agent or cause; instrumental
adj.

1560s, of religion; 1650s, of state; in some uses from middle french ministériel and directly from medieval latin ministerialis “pertaining to service, of a minister,” from latin ministerium (see ministry); in some cases probably directly from minister or ministry.