denomination

[ dih-nom-uh-ney-shuhn ]

noun

1. a religious group, usually including many local churches, often larger than a sect:

   the Lutheran denomination.

2. one of the grades or degrees in a series of designations of quantity, value, measure, weight, etc.:

   He paid $500 in bills of small denomination.

3. a name or designation, especially one for a class of things.
4. a class or kind of persons or things distinguished by a specific name.
5. the act of naming or designating a person or thing.

denomination

/ dɪˌnɒmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. a group having a distinctive interpretation of a religious faith and usually its own organization
2. a grade or unit in a series of designations of value, weight, measure, etc

   coins of this denomination are being withdrawn

3. a name given to a class or group; classification
4. the act of giving a name
5. a name; designation

Derived Forms

• deˌnomiˈnational, adjective
• deˌnomiˈnationally, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of denomination¹

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English denominacioun “name, designation; act of naming or designating,” from Latin dēnōminātiōn- (stem of dēnōminātiō “calling something by other than its proper name, substitution, metonymy,” equivalent to dēnōmināt(us) + -iōn-; denominate, -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of denomination¹

C15: from Latin dēnōminātiō a calling by name; see denominate

Example Sentences

Reinke lost his pulpit and was drummed out of the conservative Missouri Synod of the Lutheran denomination.

From The Daily Beast

And no religious denomination should be forced to ordain gays or women as priests, right?

From The Daily Beast

When I ask him what religious denomination he represents, he replies, “every.”

From The Daily Beast

We justified the rankings by the reporting and by guidance from those most familiar with each denomination.

From The Daily Beast

Communion practices vary by denomination and even by individual parishes.

From The Daily Beast

No more than one convent of each denomination is allowed to subsist, and great checks are put on the profession of new members.

From Project Gutenberg

He heard the arithmetic class reciting and learned that only things of the same denomination can be subtracted from each other.

From Project Gutenberg

While alone and contented, I was all right, but to return to the denomination would mean to leave both robe and title behind.

From Project Gutenberg

He should have taken those bills far away and had them exchanged for money of smaller denomination.

From Project Gutenberg

After the Mormon fiasco and the evaporation of the Fieldingites, another denomination took it.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• church
• creed
• cult
• faith
• persuasion
• religion
• sect