department
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.
Origin of department
1Other words for department
Other words from department
- de·part·men·tal [dih-pahrt-men-tl, dee-pahrt-], /dɪ pɑrtˈmɛn tl, ˌdi pɑrt-/, adjective
- de·part·men·tal·ly, adverb
- non·de·part·men·tal, adjective
- non·de·part·men·tal·ly, adverb
- pre·de·part·men·tal, adjective
- sub·de·part·ment, noun
- sub·de·part·men·tal, adjective
Words Nearby department
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use department in a sentence
The top four assist leaders are too, prompting a look into why Canadian teams are surging in the scoring department.
The NHL’s Canadian teams are scoring a lot. Like, a lot, a lot. | Neil Greenberg | February 12, 2021 | Washington PostRegardless of what kind of tool they’re selling, AI hiring vendors generally promise that these technologies will find better-qualified and more diverse candidates at lower cost and in less time than traditional HR departments.
Auditors are testing hiring algorithms for bias, but there’s no easy fix | Amy Nordrum | February 11, 2021 | MIT Technology ReviewHospitals have conducted the most vaccinations, followed by local health departments and long-term care facilities.
Leaders in Washington region ask FEMA for help in vaccinating federal workers | Julie Zauzmer, Rachel Chason, Rebecca Tan | February 11, 2021 | Washington PostA department spokesman said he could not be more specific about when the CPUC received the payments, so it’s not clear if that happened before or after Stebbins raised her concerns.
Utility Companies Owe Millions to This State Regulatory Agency. The Problem? The Agency Can’t Track What It’s Owed. | by Scott Morris, Bay City News Foundation | February 10, 2021 | ProPublicaIn an email to department employees the following morning, he said he was “honored and delighted to be officially on board.”
Buttigieg to quarantine for 14 days after security agent tests positive for coronavirus | Michael Laris | February 8, 2021 | Washington Post
Their friendship began when Krauss, who was chairman of the physics department at Case Western in Cleveland, sought out Epstein.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking | M.L. Nestel | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe “doctorate” Duke claims is from an anti-Semitic Ukranian “diploma mill” as described by the State department.
Seventy-two adults between the ages of 18 and 50 are participating in the trial, led by the pediatrics department at Oxford.
The State department found that with high oil prices, the tar sands would be mined for oil, pipeline or no.
The EPA felt that the State department had not looked carefully enough at the impact of the pipeline if oil prices fell.
At the latter date all artists were obliged to vacate the Sorbonne ateliers to make room for some new department of instruction.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D. | Clara Erskine ClementThere is one other department of children's art which clearly does deserve to be studied with some care—their drawing.
Children's Ways | James SullyThe percentage of reserves to deposits, which marks the safety line for England, refers to the items in the banking department.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur PhillipsThere are many articles in the American department of which I would gladly speak, that have attracted no public notice.
Glances at Europe | Horace GreeleyThat's the crushing kind of repertoire he gives his pupils—so exhaustive and complete in every department.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy Fay
British Dictionary definitions for department
/ (dɪˈpɑːtmənt) /
a specialized division of a large concern, such as a business, store, or university: the geography department
a major subdivision or branch of the administration of a government
a branch or subdivision of learning: physics is a department of science
a territorial and administrative division in several countries, such as France
informal a specialized sphere of knowledge, skill, or activity: wine-making is my wife's department
Origin of department
1Derived forms of department
- departmental (ˌdiːpɑːtˈmɛntəl), adjective
- departmentally, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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