ENGLISH
REFERENCE

department

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //dɪˈpɑɹtmənt// UK //dɪpˈɑːtmənt// de·part·ment Archaic General-service

n. a specific part of a large organization, like a business, university, or government. It can also be a section of a large store that sells one type of product.

n. a distinct division of a large organization, such as a government, university, or business, responsible for a specific area of activity. Also refers to a specialized section of a large retail store.


SIMPLE

She works in the marketing department.

CONTEXTUAL

If you need to buy a new sofa, you should visit the furniture department on the third floor.

COMPLEX

The university's history department recently secured a significant grant to digitize its collection of medieval manuscripts for public access.

Synonyms
Origin

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

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'in' when describing where someone works or where an item is located.

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