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Department of Defense

American

noun

the department of the U.S. federal government charged with ensuring that the military capacity of the U.S. is adequate to safeguard the national security. DOD

Department of Defense Cultural

A department of the federal executive branch entrusted with formulating military policies and maintaining American military forces. Its top official is the civilian secretary of defense. It is headquartered in the Pentagon.

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.

It even engaged in a public dispute with the US Department of Defense over concerns that its AI tools would be used in mass surveillance of Americans and autonomous warfare.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Department of Defense announced a new multi-billion dollar contract with the computer maker.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

It puts you in contact with the continuity of government systems—I would imagine the intelligence community and the Department of Defense.

From Slate • May 21, 2026

In late April, President Donald Trump requested a record-breaking $1.5 trillion defense budget, which, if approved, would mark the largest ever increase in Department of Defense funding.

From Salon • May 8, 2026

The tensions grew when the Department of Defense tightened security after several spy scandals.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023