# dep

/ˈdɛp/ (US) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dep
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

a short way to say 'department'. You use it when you are talking about a specific part of a large organization, like a company or a government office.

For teachers: a clipped form of 'department', used primarily in informal or technical contexts to refer to a specific administrative or functional unit within an organization.

## Examples

- I work in the finance dep.
- The IT dep is handling the server upgrade while the marketing dep prepares the new campaign.
- While the legal dep focuses on compliance and risk management, the research dep is currently exploring new methods for data encryption to protect sensitive client information.

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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.