Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

mĭnistĕrĭum, ii, n. [minister], the office or functions of a minister, attendance, service, ministry, in a good or bad sense; an office, occupation, work, labor, employment, administration, etc. (not in Cic. or Cæs.; cf.: munus, officium).

  1. I. Lit.: sunt qui ita distinguant: quaedam beneficia esse, quaedam officia, quaedam ministeria: beneficium esse, quod alienus det: officium esse filii, uxoris, etc.: ministerium esse servi, quem conditio sua eo loco posuit, ut nihil eorum, quae praestat, imputet superiori, Sen. Ben. 3, 18, 1: servorum, Just. 2, 13, 10. ubi ego omnibus parvis magnisque ministeriis praefulcior, Plaut. Ps. 3, 1, 6: facere uxoribus, to wait or attend upon, id. 32, 3, 16: praestare alicui, Dig. 13, 5, 15: exhibere, ib. 50, 1, 17: assuetos ministeriis talium facinorum, Liv. 42, 15: magis necessarium quam speciosi ministerii procurationem intueri, id. 4, 8, 6: praebere, Dig. 47, 2. 51: ministerium consilii sui afferre, Just. 31, 5, 8: fabrilia, Plin. 16, 43, 84, § 230: dura, Ov. M. 11, 625: diurna, id. ib. 4, 216: navis, Petr. 108: triste, Verg. A. 6, 223; cf. foeda, id. ib. 7, 619; Sedul. 4, 130: Quirinus acribus ministeriis consulatum adeptus, Tac. A. 3, 48: ministeria belli, military service, id. ib. 2, 78: ministerio Catonis … facta provincia Cyprus est, agency, Vell. 2, 38, 6: caedis, Curt. 10, 1, 2: ministeris functi esse, Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 13, 3, 2.
    Esp., the Christian ministry, the office of a preacher of Christ or of religion: verbi, Vulg. Act. 6, 4: reconciliationis, id. 2 Cor. 6, 18: melius, id. Heb. 8, 6.
  2. II. Transf., concr.
    1. A. A suite of attendants: quindecim convivarum, ac ministerii capax triclinium, Plin. 12, 1, 5, § 10: ministeria magistratibus conscribere, i. e. lictores, viatores, etc., Tac. A. 13, 27: aulicum, court-servants, Lampr. Alex. Sev. 41: atratum coquinae ministerium, the kitchen-servants, Amm. 14, 6, 17: varia arenae ministeria, managers of the games, Suet. Ner. 12.
    2. B. A service of dishes, table-service (post-class.): ducentarum librarum argenti pondus ministerium, Lampr Alex. Sev. 34; Paul. Sent. 3, 6, 86.