A department is one of the sections in an organization such as a government, business, or university. A department isalso one of the sections in a large shop.
...the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. [+ of]
He moved to the sales department.
...the geography department of Moscow University.
...the jewelry department.
2.
See not be sb's department
More Synonyms of department
department in British English
(dɪˈpɑːtmənt)
noun
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
household budgeting is my wife's department
Derived forms
departmental (ˌdiːpɑːtˈmɛntəl)
adjective
departmentally (ˌdepartˈmentally)
adverb
Word origin
C18: from French département, from départir to divide; see depart
department in American English
(diˈpɑrtmənt; dɪˈpɑrtmənt)
noun
1.
a separate part, division, or branch, as of a government, business, or school
the police department, the accounting department, the history department
2.
a field of knowledge or activity
rewriting is his department
3. US
a specialized column or section appearing regularly in a periodical
4.
an administrative district in France, Greece, or certain Latin American countries
Word origin
ME & OFr departement < departir: see depart
department in Retail
(dɪpɑrtmənt)
Word forms: (regular plural) departments
noun
(Retail: Store fixtures and layout)
If a store is divided into departments, it has separate areas within it where goods of different categories are displayed and sold.
These stores are characterized by wide product mixes and organized into separatedepartments to facilitate marketing efforts and internal management.
Good clear signage is needed to direct customers to a store's various departments.
If a store is divided into departments, it has separate areas within it where goods of different categories are displayedand sold.
More idioms containing
department
something is not your department
COBUILD Collocations
department
relevant department
Examples of 'department' in a sentence
department
Ministers in four government departments are pushing the message while on overseas trips.
The Sun (2016)
The department also weakened the curbs it did introduce.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She is leading an independent review of race in the workplace for the business department.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There were almost 9,000 data breaches by the largest government departments last year.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The planning process for fracking is impossibly bureaucratic, with a regulatory system that encompasses local councils and national government departments.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The suppliers will be expected to provide a wide range of desktop services across different government departments with requirements for more than 1,500 staff.
Computing (2010)
Meanwhile, which Government department pays staff the highest salaries?
The Sun (2016)
Government departments must share information about their respective evaluation of complete or partial open-source proposals, and regularly assess product maturity.
Computing (2010)
Other areas to watch out for include an increase in efficiency savings expected from government departments to 25 per cent from 20 per cent.
Computing (2010)
The idea has received initial support from at least one government department and industry bodies.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The department was concerned to establish whether its investment in science and technology was paying off.
Yearley, Steven Science, Technology, and Social Change (1988)
The great bulk of absenteeism is in one department.
Peter F. Drucker THE ESSENTIAL DRUCKER (2001)
The committee also said that departments took too long to answer calls.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The department is concerned that club deals could artificially hold down prices in auctions.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
He lived off that one department store.
Kiam, Victor Going For It!: How to Succeed As an Entrepreneur (1986)
Other government departments also recognise the value that third sector organisations can bring.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Each academic department also provides careers advice tailored to programmes.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
But it made clear that much of the work was to help other government departments and the wider public sector.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It cross references claims against data in other government departments as well as credit information to determine if a claim is genuine.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Then its product or business unit control departments test the traders' pricing.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He is understood to have presented his plan to civil servants at the business department on Friday.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Online energy meters will show the public how much power each Government department is using.
The Sun (2010)
The sciences have grown strength and the biological sciences department is one the university's largest.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Is that a government department?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Although some academy chains have done well, a small number have less convincing results and have caused concern within the department.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Many of the significant risks facing big businesses and government departments are procurement issues, from global shortages to ethical purchasing and environmental impact.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The Health and Education departments were turned inside out regularly.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Millions more were paid at the Business and Education departments.
The Sun (2015)
And the proposals are already facing strong opposition from the Business and Education departments.
The Sun (2013)
October 2003, the department raised concerns about the conduct of senior management at the company.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
What they hope they'll find will make a retired Edinburgh professor who still hangs around the physics department very happy.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
To perform these tasks effectively, while contributing to the general activity of the department, requires staff of very high calibre.
Tom Cannon Basic Marketing. Principles and Practice (1986)
In other languages
department
British English: department /dɪˈpɑːtmənt/ NOUN
A department is one of the sections of a large shop or organization such as a university.
...the store's cosmetics department.
American English: department
Arabic: قِسْم
Brazilian Portuguese: departamento
Chinese: 部门
Croatian: odjel
Czech: oddělení
Danish: afdeling
Dutch: afdeling
European Spanish: departamento
Finnish: osasto
French: service entité organisationnelle
German: Abteilung
Greek: τμήμα
Italian: reparto
Japanese: 部門
Korean: 부
Norwegian: avdeling
Polish: dział
European Portuguese: departamento
Romanian: departament
Russian: отдел
Latin American Spanish: departamento
Swedish: avdelning
Thai: แผนก
Turkish: bölüm idari
Ukrainian: відділ
Vietnamese: phòng ban
All related terms of 'department'
deck department
the part of a ship's crew , from the captain down, concerned with running the ship but not with heavy machinery or catering
department head
→ another name for department chairman
fire department
The fire department is an organization which has the job of putting out fires.
War Department
the department of the federal government that, from 1789 until 1947, was responsible for defense and the military establishment : in 1947 it became the Department of the Army , which became part of the Department of Defense when it was established in 1949
costume department
the department in a theatre or television company that is responsible for actors ' costumes
department store
A department store is a large shop which sells many different kinds of goods.
export department
the department of a business concerned with the export of the business's goods or services
Justice Department
the United States federal department for enforcing federal laws
legal department
the department that deals with legal matters
police department
the department of local government concerned with enforcing law and preventing crime
sales department
the number of goods, products, or services that a company sells within a certain time period
service department
a repair shop
State Department
In the United States , the State Department is the government department that is concerned with foreign affairs.
accounts department
the section of a company that deals with the accounts
casualty department
a serviceman or servicewoman who is killed, wounded , captured , or missing as a result of enemy action
cleansing department
the department of a local authority that collects refuse
creative department
the department of a company or organization responsible for the design and creation of advertisements and marketing materials
department chairman
the chairman of a university department
department chairmen
the chairman of a university department
dispatch department
the department of an organization responsible for the dispatch of orders
education department
the department of a local authority that is concerned with education , or the government department concerned with education
government department
a sector of a national or state government that deals with a particular area of interest
Highways Department
the department of a state, council , etc, responsible for the upkeep of roads and highways
Immigration Department
the government department responsible for laws regarding immigrants and immigration
manchester department
household linen or cotton goods, such as sheets and towels
marketing department
the department of a commercial organization that deals with the marketing of products
personnel department
a human resources department
planning department
a board or committee in an organization that deals with planning
procurement department
the department of (a company, organization, etc) responsible for purchasing and buying
production department
the department of a business or organization responsible for manufacturing products
purchasing department
the group of staff within an organization that is responsible for buying goods or products
relevant department
A department is one of the sections in an organization such as a government, business, or university. A department is also one of the sections in a large shop .
sanitation department
the department of local government responsible for collecting and disposing of refuse
shipping department
a department in a company responsible for arranging, receiving, recording , and sending shipments of goods
telesales department
the department of a company that deals with telesales
the War Department
the department of state responsible for the British Army, now part of the Ministry of Defence
Department of Defense
→ the Department of Defense
Department of Health
→ the Department of Health
Department of State
the department of the U.S. federal government that sets forth and maintains the foreign policy of the U.S., esp. in negotiations with foreign governments and international organizations
Rehabilitation Department
a government department set up after World War II to assist ex-servicemen
stock list department
(in an American stock exchange) the department dealing with monitoring compliance with its listing requirements and rules
extra-mural department
a university department that offers courses for part-time students
pest control department
the local government department responsible for controlling such pests as rats and mice
customer relations department
a department of a company concerned with customer relations
customer service department
a department of a company concerned with customer service
Department of the Navy
→ the Department of the Navy
graphic design department
a group of people in a company who work in graphic design
human resources department
the department in an organization dealing with matters involving employees , as hiring , training, labor relations , and benefits
lost-and-found department
a place where lost property is kept
not be sb's department
If you say that a task or area of knowledge is not your department , you mean that you are not responsible for it or do not know much about it.
Chinese translation of 'department'
department
(dɪˈpɑːtmənt)
n(c)
(in shop) 部 (bù) (个(個), gè)
(in school or college) 系 (xì) (个(個), gè)
(in government) 部 (bù)
that's not my department那不是我的专(專)责(責) (nà bù shì wǒ de zhuānzé)
Department of State (US) 国(國)务(務)院 (guówùyuàn)
Department of Health/the Environment (Brit) 卫(衛)生/环(環)境部 (wèishēng/huánjìngbù)
dept.
abbr
(= department) 部系 (bùxì)
All related terms of 'department'
dept.
department 部系 bùxì
department store
百货(貨)商店 bǎihuò shāngdiàn [ 家 jiā ]
fire department
消防部门(門) xiāofáng bùmén [ 扇 shàn ] [ 英 = fire service ]
Department of State
( US ) 国(國)务(務)院 guówùyuàn
Department of Transport
( Brit ) 交通部 jiāotōngbù
Department of Transportation
( US ) 交通部 jiāotōngbù
that's not my department
那不是我的专(專)责(責) nà bù shì wǒ de zhuānzé
Department of Social Security
社会(會)保障部 shèhuì bǎozhàngbù
the Department of the Navy
( US ) 海军(軍)部 hǎijūn bù
Department of Health/the Environment
( Brit ) 卫(衛)生/环(環)境部 wèishēng/huánjìngbù
the Treasury, ( US ) the Treasury Department
财(財)政部 cáizhèngbù
the Ministry of Defence
国(國)防部 Guófángbù
CID
Criminal Investigation Department
1 (noun)
Definition
a major subdivision of the administration of a government
He worked in the sales department.
Synonyms
section
She was in the dairy section of the supermarket.
office
Downing Street's press office
unit
a secret military unit
station
division
the sales division
branch
The local branch is handling the accounts.
bureau
the paper's Washington bureau
subdivision
2 (noun)
Definition
a specialized sphere of activity
(informal)
Sorry, I don't know – that's not my department.
Synonyms
area
She was involved in every area of the project.
line
What was your father's line of business?
responsibility
I'm glad it's not my responsibility to be their guardian.
function
The main function of merchant banks is to raise capital.
province
Opera remained largely the province of the aristocracy.
sphere
the sphere of international politics
realm
the realm of politics
domain
the great experimenters in the domain of art
speciality
3 (noun)
Definition
an administrative division in several countries, such as France
The plan to establish central German administrative departments.
Synonyms
region
a remote mountain region
area
the large number of community groups in the area
division
sector
Officers were going to retake sectors of the city.
district
I drove around the business district.
zone
The area has been declared a disaster zone.
province
the Algarve, Portugal's southernmost province
Additional synonyms
in the sense of branch
Definition
one of a number of shops, offices, or groups that belongs to a central organization
The local branch is handling the accounts.
Synonyms
office,
department,
unit,
wing,
chapter,
bureau,
local office
in the sense of bureau
Definition
an office or agency, esp. one providing services for the public
the paper's Washington bureau
Synonyms
office,
department,
section,
branch,
station,
unit,
division,
subdivision
in the sense of district
Definition
an area which has recognizable or special features