department

department — noun

1. Any of the separate parts of a company, college, or government that deal with a

1.nounA2
Definition

Any of the separate parts of a company, college, or government that deal with a particular activity or subject.

Example

The history department at City University hired a new professor from Kyoto.

common pattern: [subject] + department

Manuela works in the sales department of a large electronics company.

common pattern: [function] + department

Common collocations
  • sales department
  • history department
  • government department
  • customer service department
  • accounting department
  • marketing department
  • department head
  • department store
  • personnel department
Synonyms
  • division

    Often larger or more formal than a department; used in military and corporate contexts

  • unit

    Smaller and more operational than a department; can refer to a team within a department

  • section

    A part of a department; more specific and usually smaller in scope

  • branch

    Suggests a physical location or regional office rather than a functional division

Grammar Patterns

department + of + [area/subject]

[area/subject] + department

Common Mistakes

I bought this dress at the women's department.
I bought this dress in the women's section.
Retail areas inside a store are called 'sections' or 'floors', not 'departments'. A 'department' in retail refers to the entire store type (department store), not the internal sections.

2. One of the official areas that France and some other countries are divided into

2.nounB1
Definition

One of the official areas that France and some other countries are divided into for local government and administration.

Example

The Lakan family moved to the department of Vaucluse in southern France.

collocation: department of [place name]

Every French department elects its own council to manage local services.

Common collocations
  • French department
  • department of Gironde
  • department council
  • overseas department
Synonyms
  • province

    A larger administrative area used in many countries; broader than a French département

  • region

    In France, a région is a level above département — several departments make up a region

  • administrative area

    A general term for any territorial division with its own government

Grammar Patterns

the department of + [place name]

[place name] department

Usage Note

A French département is larger than a city but smaller than a région. Mainland France has 96 departments, and overseas territories add 5 more, making 101 in total. The word is capitalised when used as part of a proper name ('the Department of Gironde').

Common Mistakes

France is divided into 10 departments.
France is divided into 101 departments.
Learners often underestimate the number; each département is roughly the size of a small US county.

3. A particular area of knowledge, responsibility, or activity that a specific pers

3.nounB2
Definition

A particular area of knowledge, responsibility, or activity that a specific person handles or knows well.

Example

Tax questions are not really my department — please speak to our accountant.

expression: not my department

Product design is Femi's department, so he makes the final call on all new models.

pattern: possessive + department

Common collocations
  • my department
  • your department
  • not my department
  • somebody's department
Synonyms
  • domain

    More formal and broader; suggests an area of knowledge or activity one controls

  • field

    Neutral and widely used; emphasises a subject area rather than responsibility

  • responsibility

    Direct and clear; focuses on duty rather than expertise

  • province

    Formal, slightly old-fashioned; similar meaning to 'department' in this sense

Grammar Patterns

possessive + department

not [possessive] + department

Usage Note

Frequently used in possessive or negative constructions ('not my department', 'somebody's department') to clarify who is responsible for what. The sense is always singular and typically informal.

Common Mistakes

Cooking is not my department' (meaning 'I dislike cooking').
Cooking is not my department' (meaning 'someone else is in charge of cooking').
This expression is about responsibility or expertise, not personal preference or enjoyment.

4. One specific feature or trait of something, used especially in informal comparis

4.nounB2
Definition

One specific feature or trait of something, used especially in informal comparisons or judgements to limit the focus to one area.

Example

The film was quite enjoyable, at least in the entertainment department it delivered well.

expression: in the ___ department

His cooking is excellent in the taste department but could use some work on presentation.

Common collocations
  • in the ___ department
  • the entertainment department
  • the taste department
  • the space department
  • the reliability department
Synonyms
  • aspect

    Neutral and formal; the closest direct alternative without the idiomatic tone

  • area

    Simple and common; works in both formal and informal contexts

  • respect

    Used in 'in this respect' or 'in every respect'; more formal than 'department'

  • regard

    Formal; used in 'in this regard' or 'in every regard'

Grammar Patterns

in the + [quality] + department

Usage Note

Used almost exclusively in the fixed phrase 'in the [abstract noun] department', where the noun is a quality like taste, space, reliability, or entertainment. Always informal and slightly humorous or light-hearted.

Common Mistakes

In the food department, the restaurant was great.
In the food department, the restaurant impressed us.
A full clause after the phrase sounds more natural than just 'was great'; use a verb that fits the quality being discussed.
Idioms

be somebody’s department

idiom

This means that a particular area or topic is someone's responsibility or area of expertise.

If you need help with the computer, ask Maya; that's her department.

Why are you asking me about cooking? That's definitely not my department.

in the… department

idiom

This refers to a specific aspect or quality of something or someone.

The new restaurant is excellent in the service department.

Is your car reliable in the performance department?

Word family

  • departmental
    adjectiveB2
  • departmentally
    adverbC1
  • department store
    nounA2
  • interdepartmental
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words refer to parts of a larger organization, but they differ in size, formality, and typical context. 'Department' is the most general and everyday term — any school, company, or government body uses it ('the marketing department', 'the history department'). 'Division' is larger and often more formal, used especially in the military or in large corporations ('the automotive division'). 'Unit' is smaller and more operational — a team within a department ('the research unit'). 'Section' is even more specific and usually refers to a sub-part of a department ('the grammar section of the English department'). 'Branch' suggests a physical location or regional office rather than a functional split ('the bank has a branch on every corner'). In practice, 'department' and 'division' are the safest choices for general writing; 'unit' and 'section' add precision when describing internal structure.

department ↗division ↗unit ↗section ↗branch ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • head of department
  • department of state
  • across departments
  • within the department

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'department' entered English from French 'département', which came from Latin 'departire', meaning 'to divide, to separate'. The original idea was simply 'a part that has been divided off'. The modern organizational meaning — a section of a company, school, or government — grew common in the 18th and 19th centuries as large institutions became more structured. The use for French administrative regions dates to the French Revolution of 1790, when the country was reorganised into départements of roughly equal size.