department

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English departement (“ceasing, end”), from Middle French département. Later senses borrowed from Modern French département. Doublet of département. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /dɪˈpɑːtm(ə)nt/ (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /dɪˈpɑɹtmənt/ (General Australian) IPA(key): /dɪˈpɐːtm(ə)nt/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /dəˈpɐːtm(ə)nt/ Hyphenation: de‧part‧ment === Noun === department (plural departments) A part, portion, or subdivision. A distinct course of life, action, study, or the like. A specified aspect or quality. A subdivision of an organization. (often in proper names) One of the principal divisions of executive government the Treasury Department; the Department of Agriculture; police department (in a university) One of the divisions of instructions the physics department; the history department; the math department A territorial division; a district; especially, in France, one of the districts into which the country is divided for governmental purposes, similar to a county in the UK and in the USA. France is composed of 101 départements organized in 18 régions, each department is divided into arrondissements, in turn divided into cantons. (historical) A military subdivision of a country (obsolete) Act of departing; departure. ==== Synonyms ==== (distinct course): province, specialty (division of executive government): ministry ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === province state === References ===