Definition of DEPARTMENT

department

Meanings

Plural: departments

Noun

  • a specialized division of a large organization
    • "you'll find it in the hardware department"
  • the territorial and administrative division of some countries (such as France)
  • a specialized sphere of knowledge
    • "baking is not my department"
    • "his work established a new department of literature"
  • A part, portion, or subdivision.
  • A distinct course of life, action, study, or the like.
  • A specified aspect or quality.
  • A subdivision of an organization.
  • One of the principal divisions of executive government
  • A subdivision of an organization.
  • One of the divisions of instructions
  • A territorial division; a district; especially, in France, one of the districts into which the country is divided for governmental purposes, similar to a county in the UK and in the USA. France is composed of 101 départements organized in 18 régions, each department is divided into arrondissements, in turn divided into cantons.
  • A military subdivision of a country
  • Act of departing; departure.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English departement (“ceasing, end”), from Middle French département. Later senses borrowed from Modern French département. Doublet of département.

Scrabble Score: 15

department is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
department is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
department is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 18

department is a valid Words With Friends word