Department of Defense

American  

noun

1. the department of the U.S. federal government charged with ensuring that the military capacity of the U.S. is adequate to safeguard the national security. DOD

---

Department of Defense Cultural  

1. A department of the federal executive branch entrusted with formulating military policies and maintaining American military forces. Its top official is the civilian secretary of defense. It is headquartered in the Pentagon.

---

Example Sentences

BBC Verify asked the US Department of Defense about what exactly it has requested but has not received a response.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

It puts you in contact with the continuity of government systems—I would imagine the intelligence community and the Department of Defense.

From Slate • May 21, 2026

In late April, President Donald Trump requested a record-breaking $1.5 trillion defense budget, which, if approved, would mark the largest ever increase in Department of Defense funding.

From Salon • May 8, 2026

He concurrently worked as a federal agent for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, which investigates fraud and abuse in Department of Defense programs.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

As an analyst for the Rand Corporation, a think tank focused on military and international issues, he had been granted permission to conduct research at the Pentagon, home of the United States Department of Defense.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin