denomination

American  

[dih-nom-uh-ney-shuhn] / dɪˌnɒm əˈneɪ ʃən /

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.

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denomination British  

/ 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   coins of this denomination are being withdrawn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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• denominationally
  adverb
• denominational
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of denomination

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-; see origin at denominate, -ion

Explanation

A denomination is a way of classifying things — it names the type or value of something. Denomination often refers to money. For example, $20 bills are of the same denomination. When denomination is applied to money, you’ll often hear the terms “lower denomination” or “higher denomination.” If you hand the cashier a $50 bill to pay for your latte, she might ask if you have a bill in a lower denomination — she’s asking for a smaller bill, like a $5 or a $10. Denomination can apply to other things that are categorized by type, such as playing cards or groups within the same religious tradition.

Example Sentences

Rhodes, raised as a Swedenborgianist — a Christian denomination that emphasizes “divine love” based on the writings of theologian Emanuel Swedenborg — does not outright reject the comparison.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Catholics overtook Methodists as the largest denomination in the nation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Neither of them made any substantive changes to core Roman Catholic doctrine, but when you’re the bishop of Rome and the head of the world’s largest single religious denomination, practice matters more than theory.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

It is the third largest Christian denomination after Catholicism and the Eastern Orthodox Church, giving its leaders a huge platform when speaking about issues such as climate change, human rights, or efforts for global peace.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

All across the country I went to church on Sundays, a different denomination every week, but nowhere did I find the quality of that Vermont preacher.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

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