A ministry is a department of a government, led by a minister. A government will usually have numerous ministries, each with a specialized field of service.
Federal Ministries vary greatly from country, but some common ones include the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense.
Ministries are usually subordinate to the cabinet, and prime minister or president.
Some countries such as the United States and the Philippines do not use the term "ministry" for their government departments, and instead simply call them departments.
See also: Cabinet
Ministry is also the name of a rock band from the late 1980s. See: Ministry (band)