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

But the department said that "funding is not available to extend the scheme to current undergraduate students".

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

San Diego police received a report of a missing man late Wednesday evening and found him dead in an office at 880 Front St. shortly after, according to department spokesperson Ashley Nicholes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

TikTok has agreed to pay $400 million to settle a lawsuit with the US Department of Justice over claims that the video-sharing platform violated federal children's privacy laws, the department announced on Friday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

He said the Treasury Department and the Fed “would work together if there was any change in the balance sheet,” and that his department “would adjust to any kind of runoff that they’re doing.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

“It’s part of a series put on by the county department of social services,” she said.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Justice and State departments didn’t immediately return requests for comment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The State and Treasury departments announced they are leveling additional penalties against nine state-owned mining, metal and construction companies.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

He said a large network of fire-safety organizations — from fire departments to local fire safety councils — are already stepping up to help.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

She urged departments across government to work together to address the issue - saying too many people being discharged from hospital or leaving care were ending up on the streets.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Make the loans, then sell them off to the fixed income departments of big Wall Street investment banks, which will in turn package them into bonds and sell them to investors.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

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