department
Use Department in a sentence
mənt 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.
4.
a division of a business enterprise dealing with a particular area of activity: the personnel department.
5.
a 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.
( 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To department
00:10
Department
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. 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 chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
department (dɪˈpɑːtmənt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a specialized division of a large concern, such as a business, store, or university: the geography department |
| 2. | a major subdivision or branch of the administration of a government |
| 3. | a branch or subdivision of learning: physics is a department of science |
| 4. | a territorial and administrative division in several countries, such as France |
| 5. | informal a specialized sphere of knowledge, skill, or activity: wine-making is my wife's department |
| [C18: from French département, from départir to divide; see | |
| departmental | |
| —adj | |
| depart'mentally | |
| —adv | |
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
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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
someone in a larger organization" (c.1735). Meaning "separate division of a government" is from 1769. As an administrative district in France, from 1792.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Its marketing department is regarded by industry as second to none.
The public comment deadline for the decision ends today, and the department is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks.
The garden department told me there was some basil in the test garden that had flowered and need to be snipped.
Often you hear central administrators note that the hardest job in the university is that of department head.
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