What it means
وزارت (vezârat) means a ministry, that is, a department of the executive branch of government responsible for a specific policy area. The word comes from Arabic, derived from the root that gives وزیر (vazir), the minister. The Arabic morphological pattern ـارت (ârat) forms abstract nouns from titles of office, so وزارت literally means “the office or domain of the minister.” You encounter it most commonly as part of compound names: وزارت آموزش و پرورش (Ministry of Education), وزارت امور خارجه (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and so on.
How to use it
- وزارت بهداشت اطلاعیه جدیدی صادر کرد. (Vezârat-e behdâsht ettelâ’iye-ye jadidi sâder kard.) “The Ministry of Health issued a new announcement.”
- او سالها در وزارت کار کار کرد. (U sâl-hâ dar vezârat-e kâr kâr kard.) “He worked at the Ministry of Labor for many years.”
- وزارت امور خارجه سفیر را فراخواند. (Vezârat-e omur-e khâreje safir râ farâkhând.) “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the ambassador.”
- بودجه وزارت فرهنگ کاهش یافت. (Budje-ye vezârat-e farhang kâhesh yâft.) “The Ministry of Culture’s budget was reduced.”
Cultural note
Iran’s cabinet is composed of ministers each heading a وزارت, and the full cabinet is called هیئت وزیران (hey’at-e vozarâ). Ministers are nominated by the president and must be approved by parliament, the مجلس. The number and names of ministries have changed several times since the 1979 revolution, often reflecting shifts in political priorities. The word وزارت is used in formal writing, official announcements, and everyday news speech alike.