department store
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of department store
An Americanism dating back to 1885–90
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.
Macy’s faces declining department store views, but Bloomingdale’s comparable sales increased 7% last year.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
One department store worker told the BBC that shoppers were being deterred by children "coming in en masse, creating noise and chaos".
From BBC • May 7, 2026
Other assets include stakes in LIV Golf, U.K. department store chain Selfridges and Uber.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Get thee to a department store for some soft furnishings.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
He was a compliant Catholic schoolboy who sold furniture at a department store to help pay for college before taking a job at a suburban high school.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Definitions 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.
