department

B1 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /dɪˈpɑɹtmənt/ UK /dɪˈpɑːtm(ə)nt/ See IPA manual

Freq #1196

Meanings

1

noun
A separate part of a large organization, company, or shop.

You'll find the kitchen knives in the hardware department.
2

noun
An area of activity or knowledge that someone is responsible for.

Cooking is my husband's department, not mine.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a separate part of a large... section ministry

2 noun · an area of activity or... province specialty

Word family

Forms departmentaldepartments

Derived forms departmentaldepartmentallydepartmentationdepartmentizedepartmentwideinterdepartmentalmultidepartmentsubdepartmentsuperdepartment

Related forms province state

Appears in

Phrases (3)

See all

Etymology

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

departement Middle English département French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# department

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈpɑɹtmənt/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈpɑːtm(ə)nt/
**Frequency rank:** 1196

## Meanings
1. A separate part of a large organization, company, or shop.
2. An area of activity or knowledge that someone is responsible for.

## Examples
- You'll find the kitchen knives in the hardware department.
- Cooking is my husband's department, not mine.

## Derived Forms
- departmental
- departmentally
- departmentation
- departmentize
- departmentwide
- interdepartmental
- multidepartment
- subdepartment
- superdepartment

## Related Forms
- province
- state

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: departement
- Root: département

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

## AI Etymology
department comes from Middle English departement (“ceasing, end”), from Middle French département. Later senses borrowed from Modern French département. Doublet of département. The historical chain includes Middle English departement, Middle French département, French département. Current senses include A separate part of a large organization, company, or shop and An area of activity or knowledge that someone is responsible for. English relatives and later formations include departmental, departmentally, departmentation, province, state.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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