a distinct part of anything arranged in divisions; a division of a complex whole or organized system.
2.
one of the principal branches of a governmental organization: the sanitation department.
3.
(initial capital letter) one of the principal divisions of the U.S. federal government, headed by a Secretary who is a member of the President's cabinet.
4.
a division of a business enterprise dealing with a particular area of activity: the personnel department.
5.
a section of a retail store selling a particular class or kind of goods: the sportswear department.
6.
one of the sections of a school or college dealing with a particular field of knowledge: the English department.
7.
one of the large districts into which certain countries, as France, are divided for administrative purposes.
8.
a division of official business, duties, or functions: judicial departments.
9.
a sphere or province of activity, knowledge, or responsibility: Paying the bills is not my department.
10.
(usually initial capital letter) U.S. Army. (formerly) a large geographical division of the U.S. or its possessions as divided for military and defense purposes: the Hawaiian Department.
[Origin: 1730–35; < F département, equiv. to départ(ir) (see depart) + -ment-ment]
Agriculture, United States Department of, federal executive department established in 1862, whose head was made a cabinet member in 1889. The department administers federal programs related to food production and rural life. The department's principal duty is to aid farmers, but it also serves consumers through its food assistance and food inspection programs. The department is responsible for many different programs, including research, food aid such as Food Stamps and school meal supplements, the promotion of conservation, and the administration of the national forests and grasslands. It also stabilizes commodity markets through price supports, diversion of acreage to conservation use, and the disposal of commodities. Its rural development division includes the Farm Service Agency, which provides farmers credit at favorable rates, and the Rural Utilities Service, which extends telephone, electrical, water, and sewer services (see Rural Electrification Administration); finally, its regulatory functions include inspections of meat, dairy, and poultry products, the administration of animal quarantines, and the eradication of animal diseases. The department also runs a graduate school for government employees. The publications of the department are of great value to farmers, horticulturists, and others.
See U.S. Department of Agriculture, Century of Service (1963); study by J. U. Terrell (1966).
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