denomination
Americannoun
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denominations
plural
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a religious group, usually including many local churches, often larger than a sect.
the Lutheran denomination.
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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.
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a name or designation, especially one for a class of things.
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a class or kind of persons or things distinguished by a specific name.
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the act of naming or designating a person or thing.
noun
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a group having a distinctive interpretation of a religious faith and usually its own organization
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a grade or unit in a series of designations of value, weight, measure, etc
coins of this denomination are being withdrawn
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a name given to a class or group; classification
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the act of giving a name
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a name; designation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing denomination
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" (1968)
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World Religions
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Human Geography - High School
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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.
See Examples For:
Rhodes, raised Swedenborgian — 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
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the worker’s Christian denomination celebrates the sabbath on Saturdays.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
In December, the head of Hegseth’s church’s denomination, Doug Wilson, celebrated the secretary as a counterweight to “men with a My-Little-Pony fetish.”
From Salon ● Mar. 13, 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
Some men only attended services in their own denomination.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
The Bank said its inclusion added variety to the series, made the denominations easier to distinguish, and gave an opportunity to celebrate the British coastline.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
City Councilmembers Imelda Padilla and Heather Hutt also contributed, though in smaller denominations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
Three years later, as war dragged on, a group comprising members of the North’s major Protestant denominations urged a change to the preamble of the U.S.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
The mainline is a collection of long-established Protestant denominations: the Episcopalians, United Methodists, Presbyterians and so on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Like many other evangelicals, some members attend churches that adhere to evangelical doctrine but that remain affiliated with mainline denominations.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
