# denomination

/dɪˌnɔməˈneɪʃən/ (US) · /dɪnˌɒmɪnˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/denomination
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. religious group

noun · CEFR B2

a specific branch or group within a larger religion.

For teachers: a recognized autonomous branch of a church or religion.

- The town has churches representing several different Christian denominations.
- Ecumenical dialogues often face challenges when addressing the deep-seated theological differences between various Protestant denominations.

### 2. currency value

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the face value of a coin, banknote, or postage stamp.

For teachers: a specific unit of value in a system of currency, weights, or measures.

- The machine only accepts banknotes in small denominations like five or ten dollars.
- Following the period of hyperinflation, the central bank issued new currency in much higher denominations to facilitate daily transactions.

### 3. a name or title

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal

a formal name or title for a group or class of things.

For teachers: a name or designation, especially one serving to classify a set of individuals or objects.

- The scientific denomination for this species has changed several times.
- The committee debated whether the current denomination accurately reflected the diverse functions of the newly formed department.

## Examples

- The church belongs to a large Protestant denomination.
- The vending machine only accepts coins of a specific denomination, so I had to find a smaller change.
- While the two groups share a common theological heritage, each denomination maintains distinct liturgical practices and administrative structures that prevent a full institutional merger.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.