ministerial
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Ministerial
Done under the direction of a supervisor; not involving discretion or policymaking.
Ministerial describes an act or a function that conforms to an instruction or a prescribed procedure. It connotes obedience. A ministerial act or duty is a function performed without the use of judgment by the person performing the act or duty.
ministerial
adjective administrative, agential, attending, auxiliary, bureaucratic, effectual, helpful, helping, implemental, instrumental, intermediary, intermediate, intervening, managing, officiating, operative, practical, serviceable, usefulAssociated concepts: ministerial act, ministerial duty, minisserial officer
MINISTERIAL. That which is done under the authority of a superior; opposed
to judicial; as, the sheriff is a ministerial officer bound to obey the
judicial commands of the court.
2. When an officer acts in both a judicial and ministerial capacity, he
may be compelled to perform ministerial acts in a particular way; but when
he acts in a judicial capacity, he can only be required to proceed; the
manner of doing so is left entirely to his judgment. See 2 Fairf. 377; Bac.
Ab. Justices of the Peace, E; 1 Conn. 295; 3 Conn. 107; 9 Conn. 275; 12
Conn. 464; also Judicial; Mandamus; Sheriff.