War Department

American  

noun

U.S. History.

1. the department of the federal government that, from 1789 until 1947, was responsible for defense and the military establishment: in 1947 it became the Department of the Army, which became part of the Department of Defense when it was established in 1949.

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Example Sentences

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War Department

When asked to comment, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement: “It is the duty of the War Department to ensure that the commander-in-chief has every possible military option at his disposal.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026

“The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II. Like in that war back when we were still the War Department, we are fighting to win.”

From Barron's ● Mar. 6, 2026

In the end, the president will get his War Department.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2025

"The upward trend is very clear, very obvious," says Yuri Belousov, the head of the War Department at the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office.

From BBC ● Dec. 21, 2024

An officer left the War Department and delivered death warrants to the defendants Mary Surratt, David Herold, George Atzerodt, and Lewis Powell.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson