department
[dih-pahrt-muh nt]
- a distinct part of anything arranged in divisions; a division of a complex whole or organized system.
- one of the principal branches of a governmental organization: the sanitation department.
- (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.
- a division of a business enterprise dealing with a particular area of activity: the personnel department.
- a section of a retail store selling a particular class or kind of goods: the sportswear department.
- one of the sections of a school or college dealing with a particular field of knowledge: the English department.
- one of the large districts into which certain countries, as France, are divided for administrative purposes.
- a division of official business, duties, or functions: judicial departments.
- a sphere or province of activity, knowledge, or responsibility: Paying the bills is not my department.
- (usually initial capital letter) U.S. Army. (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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Origin of department
Synonyms
See more synonyms for department on Thesaurus.com1. branch, bureau, section, unit, segment.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for departmental
Contemporary Examples
Maybe it has to do with a departmental culture that downplays sexual assaults—an attitude that seems to start at the top.
In Washington, Sexual Assault Victims Find Justice ElusiveFebruary 22, 2013
An affair that blossoms in his 40s and is quickly squelched by a departmental rival serves as his single true illumination.
Historical Examples
He was engaged often in departmental work which he could not even explain.
Mr. Grex of Monte CarloE. Phillips Oppenheim
I have placed it in the Canadian room of our Departmental Museum.
The Story of My LifeEgerton Ryerson
Roger Fauquier had been a departmental clerk for forty years.
The Story of a MineBret Harte
But it is also, like dressmaking, carried on in shops and in departmental stores.
The Canadian Girl at WorkMarjory MacMurchy
He was solemnly in earnest about economy and departmental mismanagement.
Lord Randolph ChurchillWinston Spencer Churchill
department
- a specialized division of a large concern, such as a business, store, or universitythe geography department
- a major subdivision or branch of the administration of a government
- a branch or subdivision of learningphysics is a department of science
- a territorial and administrative division in several countries, such as France
- informal a specialized sphere of knowledge, skill, or activitywine-making is my wife's department
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Word Origin
C18: from French département, from départir to divide; see depart
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for departmental
adj.
1791, "pertaining to a French department," from French départmental, from département (see department). Meaning "of departmental systems generally" from 1832.
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department
n.
mid-15c., "a going away, act of leaving," from Old French departement (12c.) "division, sharing out; divorce, parting," from Late Latin departire (see depart). French department meant "group of people" (as well as "departure"), from which English borrowed the sense of "separate division, separate business assigned to someone in a larger organization" (c.1735). Meaning "separate division of a government" is from 1769. As an administrative district in France, from 1792.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper