Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

first minister

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.00 in modern English

Syllables: first min-is-ter
IPA

18

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The principal minister of a ruler or state.

noun

The prime minister or a provincial or territorial premier.

Canadian usage

noun

A leader of a devolved government such as Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.

British usage

noun

Alternative letter-case form of first minister.

Example Sentences

"The king, knowing that he had an alternative administration in waiting, accepted the first minister's wish."
"The Welsh first minister has defended his decision to travel to Qatar for the World Cup, saying he feels that the citizens of Wales want their country’s leader there despite concerns about human rights and working conditions."
"Yousaf is almost certain to be confirmed as Scotland’s next first minister in a nominal vote at Holyrood on Tuesday but now has to bridge those divides by bringing the SNP’s warring wings together."

Usage

Canadian usage
British usage

Inflected Forms

first ministers (plural)

Phrases

prime minister deputy first minister chief minister minister-president menteri besar

Frequently Paired Words

prime minister deputy first minister chief minister minister-president menteri besar

Questions

What does first minister mean?: The principal minister of a ruler or state.

How to pronounce first minister

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “first minister”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “first minister”.
Repeat and practice — Say “first minister” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.