Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

department

/dɪˈpɑɹtmənt/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.23 in modern English

Syllables
de-part-ment
IPA
/dɪˈpɑɹtmənt/
15
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A part, portion, or subdivision.

noun

A distinct course of life, action, study, or the like.

noun

A specified aspect or quality.

noun

A subdivision of an organization.

noun

A subdivision of an organization.

noun

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.

noun

Act of departing; departure.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

Etymology

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

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /dɪˈpɑɹtmənt/
  • British English: /dɪˈpɑːtm(ə)nt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce department?
The recorded pronunciation is /dɪˈpɑɹtmənt/.
What does department mean?
A part, portion, or subdivision.
Where does department come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce department

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “department”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/dɪˈpɑɹtmənt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “department”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “department” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.