ENGLISH
REFERENCE

denomination

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //dɪˌnɔməˈneɪʃən// UK //dɪnˌɒmɪnˈeɪʃən// de·nom·i·na·tion

n. a specific branch or group within a larger religion. It can also mean the value of a piece of money, like a ten-dollar bill.

n. a recognised autonomous branch of a larger religious group. Also refers to the face value of a banknote, coin, or postage stamp.


SIMPLE

The church belongs to a large Protestant denomination.

CONTEXTUAL

The vending machine only accepts coins of a specific denomination, so I had to find a smaller change.

COMPLEX

While the two groups share a common theological heritage, each denomination maintains distinct liturgical practices and administrative structures that prevent a full institutional merger.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English denominacioun, from Old French denominacion, from Latin dēnōminātiō. By surface analysis, denominate + -ion.

Usage

Commonly used in religious contexts to distinguish sects, or in financial contexts to specify currency values.

© 2026 English Reference