department

American  

[dih-pahrt-muhnt] / dɪˈpɑrt mənt /

noun

• departments
  plural

1. a distinct part of anything arranged in divisions; a division of a complex whole or organized system.

   Synonyms:

   segment, unit, section, bureau, branch

2. one of the principal branches of a governmental organization.

   the sanitation department.

3. (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.

4. a division of a business enterprise dealing with a particular area of activity.

   the personnel department.

5. a section of a retail store selling a particular class or kind of goods.

   the sportswear department.

6. one of the sections of a school or college dealing with a particular field of knowledge.

   the English department.

7. one of the large districts into which certain countries, as France, are divided for administrative purposes.

8. a division of official business, duties, or functions.

   judicial departments.

9. a sphere or province of activity, knowledge, or responsibility.

   Paying the bills is not my department.

10. (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.

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department British  

/ dɪˈpɑːtmənt, ˌdiːpɑːtˈmɛntəl /

noun

1. a specialized division of a large concern, such as a business, store, or university

   the geography department

2. a major subdivision or branch of the administration of a government

3. a branch or subdivision of learning

   physics is a department of science

4. a territorial and administrative division in several countries, such as France

5. informal a specialized sphere of knowledge, skill, or activity

   wine-making is my wife's department

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subdepartment
  noun
• departmental
  adjective
• nondepartmental
  adjective
• predepartmental
  adjective
• subdepartmental
  adjective
• departmentally
  adverb
• nondepartmentally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• departments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of department

First recorded in 1730–35; from French département; equivalent to depart + -ment

Explanation

A department is one section or part of a larger group, like a company or a school. The philosophy department of a university is just one of many, including English, math, and sociology. Your local hospital has an emergency department, as well as surgical and mental health departments, or units. A company might have finance departments and hiring departments, and a town government has public works and fire departments. A "department store" is likewise split into sections. In each case, the departments specialize in one certain aspect of the organization. You can also say, "Making cookies is my department," if you're the person in your family who's the baking expert.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

department departments

The local department of culture said the illustrations had already been returned to the library, the security of which had been improved.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

He moved to regulate e-bikes, and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s department began to issue criminal court summonses for reckless violations of traffic laws by their riders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

But any change at the top of the department would have to come from the minister's party - or the minister himself.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

A spokesperson for the department said officers are still working to determine the circumstances that led to the crash.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

On our block alone, you could find shipyard workers, a school nurse, a chemistry teacher, and someone who worked for the health department.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Can they hire new leaders of those departments, replace or remove without cause?

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

The Fed would continue to collaborate with Treasury and other departments, but Fed governors would be protected from arbitrary removal without cause.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

"They have dedicated recruitment teams, IT departments, money-laundering specialists and infrastructure."

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Rice saw an opportunity in the retro tech to get new people into the library or encourage existing patrons to explore other departments or collections.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

The give-and-take of scientific discussion was fostered by another Lawrence innovation: the Journal Club, a weekly colloquium to which all the Rad Lab staff and visitors from other departments were invited.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• administration
• agency
• area
• board
• branch
• bureau
• commission
• division
• office
• staff
• station
• unit