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.
Buffett himself has often highlighted mistakes in his retail investments, calling a 1966 deal to buy a Baltimore department store one of his biggest mistakes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
High-end department store Fortnum & Mason is selling its own a short walk away.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
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
One was from Martin’s, the department store at the Pagoda Mall, where, at best, I’d be stuck behind a cash register all day, swiping cards and saying “Debit or credit?”
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
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.
