department

American  

[dih-pahrt-muhnt] / dɪˈpɑrt mənt /

noun

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

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

Etymology

Origin of department

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

Example Sentences

Control over their access to Gaza rests with the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Anti-Semitism, a little-known department initially designed to strengthen ties with, and protections for, Jews abroad.

From The Wall Street Journal

"We didn't expect to see such a hot cluster atmosphere so early in cosmic history," said lead author Dazhi Zhou, a PhD candidate in the UBC department of physics and astronomy.

From Science Daily

Touted to be a close-fought contest, the Ashes was all over inside three Tests with Australia superior in all departments despite missing some key players.

From Barron's

He directed all executive departments and agencies to take steps to “effectuate the withdrawal” of the U.S. from the organizations as soon as possible.

From Los Angeles Times

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has made overhauling the way the Pentagon buys weapons a priority—saying the department would broaden its range of vendors with more startups and commercial companies.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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