Definitions for department
dɪˈpɑrt məntde·part·ment

Princeton's WordNet(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. department, section(noun)

   a specialized division of a large organization

   "you'll find it in the hardware department"; "she got a job in the historical section of the Treasury"

2. department(noun)

   the territorial and administrative division of some countries (such as France)

3. department(noun)

   a specialized sphere of knowledge

   "baking is not my department"; "his work established a new department of literature"

Wiktionary(2.25 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. department(Noun)

   A part, portion, or subdivision.

2. department(Noun)

   A distinct course of life, action, study, or the like; appointed sphere or walk; province.

3. department(Noun)

   Subdivision of business or official duty; especially, one of the principal divisions of executive government; as, the treasury department; the war department; also, in a university, one of the divisions of instructions; as, the medical department; the department of physics.

4. department(Noun)

   A territorial division; a district; especially, in France, one of the districts composed of several arrondissements into which the country is divided for governmental purposes.

5. department(Noun)

   A military subdivision of a country; as, the Department of the Potomac.

6. department(Noun)

   Act of departing; departure.

Origin: From département.

Webster Dictionary(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Department(verb)

   act of departing; departure

2. Department(verb)

   a part, portion, or subdivision

3. Department(verb)

   a distinct course of life, action, study, or the like; appointed sphere or walk; province

4. Department(verb)

   subdivision of business or official duty; especially, one of the principal divisions of executive government; as, the treasury department; the war department; also, in a university, one of the divisions of instruction; as, the medical department; the department of physics

5. Department(verb)

   a territorial division; a district; esp., in France, one of the districts composed of several arrondissements into which the country is divided for governmental purposes; as, the Department of the Loire

6. Department(verb)

   a military subdivision of a country; as, the Department of the Potomac

Origin: [F. dpartement, fr. dpartir. See Depart, v. i.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Department

   Department is the name given to the administrative and political subdivisions of many countries. As a territorial unit, "department" was first used by the French Revolutionary governments, apparently to emphasize that each territory was simply an administrative sub-division of the united sovereign nation. This attempt to de-emphasize local political identity contrasts strongly with countries which are divided into "states". Today, departments may exist either with or without a representative assembly and executive head depending upon the countries' constitutional and administrative structure. The United States used this designation for the "Department of Alaska" during the early period of US rule in Alaska.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Department

   de-pärt′ment, n. a part: a separate part of business or duty: a section of the administration: a division of a country, esp. of France.—adj. Department′al.—adv. Department′ally.

The Nuttall Encyclopedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Department

   a territorial division in France instituted in 1790, under which the old division into provinces was broken up; each department, of which there are now 87, is broken up into arrondissements.

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. department

   A term by which the divisions in the public services are distinguished, as the civil, the commissariat, the military, the naval, the victualling, &c.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'department' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #531

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'department' in Written Corpus Frequency: #875

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'department' in Nouns Frequency: #153

How to pronounce department?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say department in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of department in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of department in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of department in a Sentence

1. Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson:

   This is new for our department.

2. Raymond Chandler:

   California, the department store state.

3. Lindsey Graham:

   I am so worried about the State Department.

4. Defense Department spokesman Mark Wright:

   The department is withdrawing the legislative proposal.

5. Rick Perry:

   I don't know whether State Department was crap or what.

Images & Illustrations of department

Popularity rank by frequency of use