department store

American  

noun

• department stores
  plural

1. a large retail store carrying a wide variety of merchandise and organized into various departments for sales and administrative purposes.

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department store British  

noun

1. a large shop divided into departments selling a great many kinds of goods

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• department stores
  plural

Etymology

Origin of department store

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

department store

But the department store is seeking to recoup costs from the estate, according to Harrods and lawyers involved in the negotiations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

At 90,000 square feet, the proposed complex would be larger than an average Kohl’s department store, which the company says occupies roughly 80,000 square feet.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

Dozens more who worked at his luxury department store have filed for compensation under a redress scheme set up after a 2024 BBC documentary revealed the scale of his alleged offences.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

One proposed explanation pointed to large industrial fans operating inside a department store warehouse.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026

Did Carole’s family pay off the dead girl’s Christmas gifts in department store layaways?

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

Related Words

• chain store
• discount store
• shop
• store