department

American  

[dih-pahrt-muhnt] / dɪˈpɑrt mənt /

noun

• departments
  plural

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

   Synonyms:

   segment, unit, section, bureau, branch

2. one of the principal branches of a governmental organization.

   the sanitation department.

3. (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.

4. a division of a business enterprise dealing with a particular area of activity.

   the personnel department.

5. a section of a retail store selling a particular class or kind of goods.

   the sportswear department.

6. one of the sections of a school or college dealing with a particular field of knowledge.

   the English department.

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

8. a division of official business, duties, or functions.

   judicial departments.

9. a sphere or province of activity, knowledge, or responsibility.

   Paying the bills is not my department.

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

    the Hawaiian Department.

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department British  

/ dɪˈpɑːtmənt, ˌdiːpɑːtˈmɛntəl /

noun

1. a specialized division of a large concern, such as a business, store, or university

   the geography department

2. a major subdivision or branch of the administration of a government

3. a branch or subdivision of learning

   physics is a department of science

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

5. informal a specialized sphere of knowledge, skill, or activity

   wine-making is my wife's department

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subdepartment
  noun
• departmental
  adjective
• nondepartmental
  adjective
• predepartmental
  adjective
• subdepartmental
  adjective
• departmentally
  adverb
• nondepartmentally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• departments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of department

First recorded in 1730–35; from French département; equivalent to depart + -ment

Explanation

A department is one section or part of a larger group, like a company or a school. The philosophy department of a university is just one of many, including English, math, and sociology. Your local hospital has an emergency department, as well as surgical and mental health departments, or units. A company might have finance departments and hiring departments, and a town government has public works and fire departments. A "department store" is likewise split into sections. In each case, the departments specialize in one certain aspect of the organization. You can also say, "Making cookies is my department," if you're the person in your family who's the baking expert.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

department departments

During another attempt two days later, the representative was told the "legal department" was not in that day, according to the filing.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

A spokesperson for the department said officers are still working to determine the circumstances that led to the crash.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

He moved to regulate e-bikes, and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s department began to issue criminal court summonses for reckless violations of traffic laws by their riders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

The local department of culture said the illustrations had already been returned to the library, the security of which had been improved.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

The stable had been destroyed, along with the fire department and almost every other building around that part of the waterfront.

From "I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919" by Lauren Tarshis

For this imaginative survey, E. Bradley Strauchen-Scherer, curator in the museum’s Department of Musical Instruments, has drawn from 10 of the museum’s curatorial departments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Can they hire new leaders of those departments, replace or remove without cause?

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

The heat is proving to be deadly, and A&E departments in England recorded their busiest period ever, with the record-breaking heat cited as a key factor.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Rice saw an opportunity in the retro tech to get new people into the library or encourage existing patrons to explore other departments or collections.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Word spread quickly through the Baltimore City and County police departments about the arrest.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Related Words

• administration
• agency
• area
• board
• branch
• bureau
• commission
• division
• office
• staff
• station
• unit