相|しょうshou[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. suffixminister (of a government department)

• Synonym大臣だいじんNeutralThe formal full title for a cabinet minister, as in 「外務大臣」; 相 is only the abbreviated suffix form, typical of headlines.
• Related長官ちょうかんNeutralA standalone noun for the head of a government agency, as in 「消費者庁長官」; the 「内閣官房長官」 post is held by a minister of state.
• Related閣僚かくりょうNeutralCovers the members of the cabinet, singly or collectively, as in 「閣僚会議」 and 「ある閣僚」.
• Related卿相けいしょうWrittenWritten, archaic term for the court nobles and state ministers of old; not used in everyday speech.
• Related大殿おとどWrittenAn archaic written word for ministers and nobles of earlier ages, found mainly in classical literature; never used for modern officials.

「相」 is a suffix short for a minister, seen mostly in news headlines like 「外相」 and 「財務相」. For the formal title use 「〇〇大臣」, and for cabinet members use 「閣僚」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. （ショウ）宰相さいしょう。大臣だいじん。