Nearby Words
Synonyms
noun
1.
a distinct part of anything arranged in divisions; a division of a complex whole or organized system.
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.
) 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.
EXPANDa 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.
COLLAPSE(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.
) 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. Related forms
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
EXPANDSynonyms
1. branch, bureau, section, unit, segment.
1. branch, bureau, section, unit, segment.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Department
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
Example Sentences
- Shoppers are responding to the loss of local department stores with little more than a yawn and a collective shrug.
- Often you hear central administrators note that the hardest job in the university is that of department head.
- The department cannot even hold on to the recruits it does manage to find.
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
department
mid-15c., "a going away, act of leaving," from O.Fr. département (12c.), from L.L. 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
EXPANDsomeone in a larger organization" (c.1735). Meaning "separate division of a government" is from 1769. As an administrative district in France, from 1792.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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