Interior Department
8
3.8
- proper noun
- /ɪnˈtɪriər dɪˈpɑrtmənt/
- US
:
Departamento del Interior
- The Interior Department issued a report on the impact of climate change on natural resources.
- Interior Department officials
Examples
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The U.S. Interior Department oversees the management of national parks and wildlife refuges.
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Congress did enact significant reform legislation in 1994, spelling out the Interior Department's long-recognized duties to the Indians and calling for the appointment of a special trustee, Homan, to oversee the accounts and fix the system.
Academic text (1999) -
The Shoshone refused the payment, but the Interior Department accepted it on their behalf.
Academic text (2005) -
In March 1999, the Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service listed nine wild species of salmon as either endangered or threatened.
Academic text (1999) -
Offshore Atlantic winds alone could produce an estimated 1,000 gigawatts of energy, Interior Department officials said.
Blog text (29) -
The documents, some dating back to the formation of the first trusts in 1887, were stored at Treasury facilities, at different Interior Department offices, and at more than 90 Indian agencies throughout the country.
Academic text (1999) -
During the meeting, the Interior Department announced new initiatives for conservation of public lands.
Synonyms
57
4.6
A United States government department that manages national parks and public land
8
4.2
A United States government department that manages national parks and public lands
2
8.1
United States government department that manages national parks and public lands
Surface Forms
Morphology
As a proper name for a specific government agency, the sense 'responsible for conservation and public lands' is not transparently derivable from the literal meanings of 'interior' (inside) and 'department' (organizational unit). The word 'interior' is ambiguous and in many languages denotes domestic/internal affairs rather than natural-resource management, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would not reliably infer the agency's specific remit.
Etymology
Interior Department comes from Interior, meaning the 'inside' parts of a country, and Department, meaning a 'government office'. Because this office cares for the country's lands, parks and natural resources, Interior Department now means the government office that manages public lands.