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

President Abraham Lincoln spent many evenings in the War Department telegraph office reading dispatches and issuing orders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

“The president has made it clear that you will not have a nuclear weapon. The War Department agrees,” Hegseth told reporters Tuesday in the Oval Office.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026

The Department of Defense, now called the War Department, is investing directly in companies, demanding greater production and new technology.

From Barron's ● Jan. 14, 2026

He reverses a post-World War II decision that renamed the War Department the Department of Defense, returning its meaning to “war.”

From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025

That was $300 more than Meyer had earned, but well below William’s salary at the War Department.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield