department
/dɪˈpɑɚtmənt/
noun
plural
departments
plural
departments
Britannica Dictionary definition of DEPARTMENT
[count]
1
:
one of the major parts of a company, organization, government, or school
-
Your letter has been forwarded to our sales department.
-
When you get to the hospital, go directly to the X-ray department.
-
the country's energy department
-
the Department of Defense = the Defense Department
-
the county sheriff's department
-
the university's math and science departments
-
the department of modern languages
-
the college's athletic department
-
She joined the town's police department.
—
abbreviation dept.
—
see also fire department
2
:
an area in a store where a particular kind of product is sold
3
informal
a
:
a subject or activity that a person is interested in or responsible for
b
often humorous
—
used to say that someone or something has or does not have a particular quality
-
She's sweet, but she's somewhat lacking in the intelligence department. [=she is not very intelligent]
-
He does pretty well in the looks department. [=he is attractive]
-
Both cars do well in the safety department. [=both cars are safe to drive]
— departmental
/dɪˌpɑɚtˈmɛntl̟/
adjective