department

[ dih-pahrt-muhnt ]

/ dɪˈpɑrt mənt /

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See synonyms for: department / departments on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

one of the principal branches of a governmental organization: the sanitation department.

(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.

a division of a business enterprise dealing with a particular area of activity: the personnel department.

a section of a retail store selling a particular class or kind of goods: the sportswear department.

one of the sections of a school or college dealing with a particular field of knowledge: the English department.

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

a division of official business, duties, or functions: judicial departments.

a sphere or province of activity, knowledge, or responsibility: Paying the bills is not my department.

(usually initial capital letter)U.S. Army. (formerly) a large geographical division of the U.S. or its possessions as divided for military and defense purposes: the Hawaiian Department.

OTHER WORDS FOR department

1 branch, bureau, section, unit, segment.

See synonyms for department on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of department

1730–35; <French département, equivalent to départ(ir) (see depart) + -ment-ment

OTHER WORDS FROM department

de·part·men·tal

[dih-pahrt-men-tl, dee-pahrt-], /dɪ pɑrtˈmɛn tl, ˌdi pɑrt-/, adjectivede·part·men·tal·ly, adverbnon·de·part·men·tal, adjectivenon·de·part·men·tal·ly, adverb

pre·de·part·men·tal, adjectivesub·de·part·ment, nounsub·de·part·men·tal, adjective

Words nearby department

Depardieu, depart, departed, departee, département, department, departmentalism, departmentalize, departmental store, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use department in a sentence

The top four assist leaders are too, prompting a look into why Canadian teams are surging in the scoring department.
The NHL’s Canadian teams are scoring a lot. Like, a lot, a lot.|Neil Greenberg|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
Regardless of what kind of tool they’re selling, AI hiring vendors generally promise that these technologies will find better-qualified and more diverse candidates at lower cost and in less time than traditional HR departments.
Auditors are testing hiring algorithms for bias, but there’s no easy fix|Amy Nordrum|February 11, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Hospitals have conducted the most vaccinations, followed by local health departments and long-term care facilities.
Leaders in Washington region ask FEMA for help in vaccinating federal workers|Julie Zauzmer, Rachel Chason, Rebecca Tan|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
A department spokesman said he could not be more specific about when the CPUC received the payments, so it’s not clear if that happened before or after Stebbins raised her concerns.
Utility Companies Owe Millions to This State Regulatory Agency. The Problem? The Agency Can’t Track What It’s Owed.|by Scott Morris, Bay City News Foundation|February 10, 2021|ProPublica

In an email to department employees the following morning, he said he was “honored and delighted to be officially on board.”
Buttigieg to quarantine for 14 days after security agent tests positive for coronavirus|Michael Laris|February 8, 2021|Washington Post
Their friendship began when Krauss, who was chairman of the physics department at Case Western in Cleveland, sought out Epstein.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The “doctorate” Duke claims is from an anti-Semitic Ukranian “diploma mill” as described by the State Department.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Seventy-two adults between the ages of 18 and 50 are participating in the trial, led by the pediatrics department at Oxford.
The Race for the Ebola Vaccine|Abby Haglage|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The State Department found that with high oil prices, the tar sands would be mined for oil, pipeline or no.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Jan. 4|PunditFact.com|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The EPA felt that the State Department had not looked carefully enough at the impact of the pipeline if oil prices fell.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Jan. 4|PunditFact.com|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
At the latter date all artists were obliged to vacate the Sorbonne ateliers to make room for some new department of instruction.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
There is one other department of children's art which clearly does deserve to be studied with some care—their drawing.
Children's Ways|James Sully
The percentage of reserves to deposits, which marks the safety line for England, refers to the items in the banking department.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
There are many articles in the American department of which I would gladly speak, that have attracted no public notice.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
That's the crushing kind of repertoire he gives his pupils—so exhaustive and complete in every department.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay

British Dictionary definitions for department

department

/ (dɪˈpɑːtmənt) /

noun

a specialized division of a large concern, such as a business, store, or universitythe geography department

a major subdivision or branch of the administration of a government

a branch or subdivision of learningphysics is a department of science

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

informal a specialized sphere of knowledge, skill, or activitywine-making is my wife's department

Derived forms of department

departmental (ˌdiːpɑːtˈmɛntəl), adjectivedepartmentally, adverb

Word Origin for department

C18: from French département, from départir to divide; see depart

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

department

OTHER WORDS FOR department

Origin of department

OTHER WORDS FROM department

Words nearby department

Words related to department

How to use department in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for department

Derived forms of department

Word Origin for department