Minister (government)

A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. Some ministers are more senior than others, and are usually members of the government's cabinet. In some countries the head of government is designated the "prime minister". A government minister with responsibility for religion, such as the Israeli Minister of Religious Services, may be a layperson or cleric but the title should not be confused with the religious position of "Minister (Christianity)" or the activity of Christian ministry.

Etymology

In some countries and territories, including Hong Kong, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States, holders of some posts equivalent to ministries are called secretaries of state, sometimes referred to simply as secretaries (e.g., the Home Secretary).

The term "minister" is also used in diplomacy with the quite different meaning of second-level diplomats (heads of legations). The term minister comes from Middle English, deriving from the Old French word ministre, originally minister in Latin, meaning "servant, attendant", which itself was derived from the word 'minus' meaning "less".