department


Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

de·part·ment

 (dĭ-pärt′mənt)
n.
1. A distinct, usually specialized division of a large organization, especially:
a. A principal administrative division of a government: the department of public works.
b. A division of a business specializing in a particular product or service: the personnel department.
c. A division of a school or college dealing with a particular field of knowledge: the physics department.
2. Department One of the principal executive divisions of the federal government of the United States, headed by a cabinet officer.
3. A section of a department store selling a particular line of merchandise: the home furnishings department.
4. An administrative district in France.
5. A unit of a warship's crew, organized by function, such as gunnery or engineering.
6. An area of particular knowledge or responsibility; a specialty: Getting the kids to bed is my department.

[French département, from Old French, separation, from departir, to divide; see depart.]

de′part·men′tal (dē′pärt-mĕn′tl) adj.
de′part·men′tal·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

department

(dɪˈpɑːtmənt)
n
1. a specialized division of a large concern, such as a business, store, or university: the geography department.
2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a major subdivision or branch of the administration of a government
3. (Education) a branch or subdivision of learning: physics is a department of science.
4. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) 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 depart]
departmental adj
ˌdepartˈmentally adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

de•part•ment

(dɪˈpɑrt mənt)

n.
1. a distinct part of anything arranged in divisions; a division of a complex whole or organized system.
2. one of the branches of a governmental organization.
3. (cap.) one of the principal divisions of the U.S. government, headed by a secretary who is a member of the president's cabinet: the Department of State.
4. a division of a company dealing with a particular activity.
5. a section of a store selling a particular kind of goods.
6. one of the sections of a school or college dealing with a particular field of knowledge.
7. one of the districts into which certain countries, as France, are divided for administrative purposes.
8. a division of official business, duties, or functions.
9. a sphere of activity, knowledge, or responsibility.
[1730–35; < French département, Old French: division, act of dividing]
de•part•men•tal (dɪ pɑrtˈmɛn tl, ˌdi pɑrt-) adj.
de•part•men′tal•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.department - a specialized division of a large organizationdepartment - 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"
academic department - a division of a school that is responsible for a given subject
business department - a division of a business firm
personnel department, personnel office, staff office, personnel - the department responsible for hiring and training and placing employees and for setting policies for personnel management
government department - a department of government
payroll department, payroll - the department that determines the amounts of wage or salary due to each employee
security department, security - a department responsible for the security of the institution's property and workers; "the head of security was a former policeman"
division - an administrative unit in government or business
2.department - the territorial and administrative division of some countries (such as France)
administrative district, administrative division, territorial division - a district defined for administrative purposes
country, land, state - the territory occupied by a nation; "he returned to the land of his birth"; "he visited several European countries"
France, French Republic - a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
3.department - a specialized sphere of knowledge; "baking is not my department"; "his work established a new department of literature"
sector, sphere - a particular aspect of life or activity; "he was helpless in an important sector of his life"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

department

noun
1. section, office, unit, station, division, branch, bureau, subdivision He worked in the sales department.
2. (Informal) area, line, responsibility, function, province, sphere, realm, domain, speciality Sorry, I don't know - that's not my department.
3. region, area, division, sector, district, zone, province The plan to establish central German administrative departments.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

department

noun
1. A component of government that performs a given function:
2. A sphere of activity, experience, study, or interest:
Slang: bag.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
قِسْموِزارَه، دائِرَه، قِسِم
oddělení
afdelingdepartementinstitutministerium
AbteilungDepartementDépartementDepartmentFachbereich
osasto
odjel
szakosztály
deild
部門
departamentasdepartamentoskyriausuniversalinė parduotuvė
departamentskatedraministrijanodaļa
ministrstvooddelek
avdelning
แผนก
bölümdepartman
phòng

department

[dɪˈpɑːtmənt]
A. N
1. (gen) → departamento m; (in shop) → sección f (Admin) → sección f, oficina f
the toy departmentla sección de juguetes
the English departmentel departamento de inglés
2. [of government] → ministerio m, secretaría f (Mex)
Department of Employment (Brit) → Ministerio m or (Mex) Secretaría f de Trabajo
Department of State (US) → Ministerio m or (Mex) Secretaría f de Asuntos Exteriores
3. [of activity] gardening is my wife's departmentdel jardín se encarga mi mujer
men? I don't have any problems in that department¿los hombres? no tengo ningún problema en ese campo
B. CPD department store N(grandes) almacenes mpl, tienda f por departamento (Carib)
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

department

[dɪˈpɑːrtmənt] n
[shop] → rayon m
the shoe department → le rayon chaussures
(in university)département m; (in school)section f
the English department (in university)le département d'anglais
(in government)ministère m; (in US politics)département m
Department of the Environment → ministère de l'Environnement
(= field) that's not my department → ce n'est pas mon rayon
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

department

n
(generally) → Abteilung f; (Geog: in France) → Departement nt; (in civil service) → Ressort nt; Department of Employment (Brit) Department of Labor (US) → Arbeitsministerium nt; Department of State (US) → Außenministerium nt; that’s not my department (fig)dafür bin ich nicht zuständig
(Sch, Univ) → Fachbereich m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

department

[dɪˈpɑːtmənt] n (Admin) → sezione f, reparto; (in shop) → reparto; (in government) → ministero (Univ) → istituto, dipartimento
the English Department (Scol) → i professori d'inglese
that's not my department (fig) → questo non è di mia competenza
Department of Employment (Brit) → Ministero del Lavoro
Department of State (Am) → Dipartimento di Stato
Department of Trade and Industry (Brit) → Ministero del Commercio e dell'Industria
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

department

(diˈpaːtmənt) noun
a part or section of a government, university, office or shop. The Department of Justice; the sales department.
ˌdepartˈmental adjective
a departmental manager.
department store
a large shop with many different departments selling a wide variety of goods.

department (not departmental) store.
departuredepart
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

department

قِسْم oddělení afdeling Abteilung τμήμα departamento osasto service odjel reparto 部門 afdeling avdeling dział departamento отдел avdelning แผนก bölüm phòng 部门
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

department

n departamento, unidad f; Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Departamento de Vehículos Motorizados, Departamento de Vehículos de Motor; Department of Public Health, Public Health Department Departamento de Salud Pública; emergency — (ED) unidad or departamento de urgencias; fire — cuerpo de bomberos
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
The Circumlocution Office was (as everybody knows without being told) the most important Department under Government.
It happened that the famous Commission of the 2nd of June had set on foot an inquiry into the irrigation of lands in the Zaraisky province, which fell under Alexey Alexandrovitch's department, and was a glaring example of fruitless expenditure and paper reforms.
Baudoyer, Isidore The Middle Classes Cousin Pons Bianchon, Horace Father Goriot The Atheist's Mass Cesar Birotteau The Commission in Lunacy Lost Illusions A Distinguished Provincial at Paris A Bachelor's Establishment The Secrets of a Princess Pierrette A Study of Woman Scenes from a Courtesan's Life Honorine The Seamy Side of History The Magic Skin A Second Home A Prince of Bohemia Letters of Two Brides The Muse of the Department The Imaginary Mistress The Middle Classes Cousin Betty The Country Parson In addition, M.
If I'm to be editor you'll all have to be sub-editors, and have charge of a department."
Chief Inspector Heat of the Special Crimes Department changed his tone.
We have already shown what is the nature of the supreme council in the state, and wherein one may differ from another, and how the different magistrates should be regulated; and also the judicial department, and what is best suited to what state; and also to what causes both the destruction and preservation of governments are owing.
It is evident that, without proper attention to this article, the separation of the executive from the legislative department would be merely nominal and nugatory.
He hung about the shopping districts, and prowled around in department stores with his invitations to dinner.
He arranged to go with one of the women in his department.
I am going to the Head Office; and I have got a letter of introduction to the chief inspector in the detective department. I am afraid I omitted to mention that?"
In a few years the scandal was at an end; there were no female teachers in the Department.
The members of the legislative, executive, and judiciary departments of thirteen and more States, the justices of peace, officers of militia, ministerial officers of justice, with all the county, corporation, and town officers, for three millions and more of people, intermixed, and having particular acquaintance with every class and circle of people, must exceed, beyond all proportion, both in number and influence, those of every description who will be employed in the administration of the federal system.

Full browser ?