department
Americannoun
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a distinct part of anything arranged in divisions; a division of a complex whole or organized system.
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one of the principal branches of a governmental organization.
the sanitation department.
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(initial capital letter) one of the principal divisions of the U.S. federal government, headed by a secretary who is a member of the president's cabinet.
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a division of a business enterprise dealing with a particular area of activity.
the personnel department.
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a section of a retail store selling a particular class or kind of goods.
the sportswear department.
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one of the sections of a school or college dealing with a particular field of knowledge.
the English department.
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one of the large districts into which certain countries, as France, are divided for administrative purposes.
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a division of official business, duties, or functions.
judicial departments.
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a sphere or province of activity, knowledge, or responsibility.
Paying the bills is not my department.
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(usually initial capital letter) (formerly) a large geographical division of the U.S. or its possessions as divided for military and defense purposes.
the Hawaiian Department.
noun
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a specialized division of a large concern, such as a business, store, or university
the geography department
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a major subdivision or branch of the administration of a government
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a branch or subdivision of learning
physics is a department of science
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a territorial and administrative division in several countries, such as France
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informal a specialized sphere of knowledge, skill, or activity
wine-making is my wife's department
Other Word Forms
- departmental adjective
- departmentally adverb
- nondepartmental adjective
- nondepartmentally adverb
- predepartmental adjective
- subdepartment noun
- subdepartmental adjective
Etymology
Origin of department
First recorded in 1730–35; from French département; equivalent to depart + -ment
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Two goals to the good and utterly dominant in every department and they get caught by a team that has perfected the art of the 90th-minute blow.
From BBC
And earlier this month, the department issued a final rule saying eligibility is now restricted to holders of certain visas that require enhanced vetting.
At Torkham border crossing -- a key gateway for Afghans returning from Pakistan -- overnight fighting was reported by the Nangarhar province information department.
From Barron's
Police also have access to an additional 280 plate readers in fixed locations throughout the city, which are owned privately or by the department, he said.
From Los Angeles Times
Defense departments around the world are preparing for higher likelihoods of conflict.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
