Which option defines 'ministry'?

• A. the job of being a preacher or a priest
• B. a government department that is in charge of a specific task or subject
• C. a military unit
• D. a fashion

Answer: (B)

Ministry is a word with more than one meaning, but in formal civic vocabulary the most common definition is a government department tasked with a specific area of public policy. When you hear about the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Education, it refers to that department and its responsibilities, including setting policy, running programs, and managing funds. This sense is what vocabulary questions usually aim to test, because it reflects how the term is used in government and public administration. The religious sense—work connected to clergy or church service—exists, but it points to religious duties rather than a government body. The options relating to a military unit or fashion don’t match how the term is used in this context.