denomination

American  

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

noun

• denominations
  plural

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   coins of this denomination are being withdrawn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

• denominational
  adjective
• denominationally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• denominations
  plural

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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

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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

See Examples For:

denomination denominations

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

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

Megan Sullivan, a Mint official, said final decisions on the size and denomination of the limited-production coin haven’t been made yet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

He didn’t need a single pastor or priest or denomination to tell him his views; he could have turned to podcasters, influencers, meme pages, YouTube pastors, and any other number of figures for inspiration.

From Slate ● Jan. 22, 2026

As Equiano explained, “These overseers are indeed for the most part persons of the worst character of any denomination of men in the West Indies.”

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson

City Councilmembers Imelda Padilla and Heather Hutt also contributed, though in smaller denominations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

Of those 31 categories, 22 are variations of Christianity, most major Protestant denominations.

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026

Runners-up win smaller denominations of cash and prize packages.

From Barron's ● May 29, 2026

The move to create the $250 note could also break with a different federal law that specifies the denominations that can be produced.

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

But like the Southern Baptists and other conservative denominations, the Assemblies gradually dropped their separatist strictures as their membership prospered and spread.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

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