Meinrad was a son of Prince Maximilian I of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1636–1689) from his marriage to Maria Clara (1635–1715), the daughter of Count Albert of Berg-s"-Heerenberg. He was still a minor when he succeeded his father in 1689 and initially, he stood under the guardianship of his mother and his uncle Franz Anton, Count of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch.
He studied at the University of Ingolstadt and embarked on a military career.
He fought in the Battle of Vienna, the Hungarian rebellion and the Nine Years" War. In 1692, Emperor Leopold I raised the Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern to Imperial Princes, under the condition that they would practice primogeniture in the future, id est (that is) they were not allowed to increase the number of imperial princes by further subdividing their principalities. In 1695, Meinrad II concluded an treaty of inheritance with the Elector of Brandenburg: if either the Swabian or the Brandenburg line of Hohenzollern were to die out, then the other line would inherit their territories.
In 1708, Meinrad founded a blast furnace works in Laucherthal (now part of Sigmaringendorf), which is now owned by Zollern GmbH, a company which is still partially owned by the descendants of the Princes of Hohenzollern.
