State Department
419
3.4
- proper noun
- /steɪt dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/
- Formal
:
Departamento de Estado (de EE. UU.)
- The State Department handles all international diplomatic relations for the United States.
- U.S. State Department
- United States State Department
- State Department foreign policy
I have an uncle that has worked for the State Department for years.
- I have an uncle that has worked for the State Department for years.
- He led the US State Department's investigation into COVID origins.
- I mean, you're talking about agency personnel, State Department personnel, ambassador types.
- But basically because of the State Department's position was we don't want to impact the peace deal.
- Try to check me, try to be the head of the State Department.
- Whereas the the State Department used to drive American foreign policy, it does not so much now.
- The State Department, whose job it was to raise questions, did not.
- So they worked together with their fellow students in Afghanistan through the State Department and, you know, Facebook videos, etcetera.
- We were traveling in Europe for the State Department, and John felt pretty much the way I did too.
- That's why the US State Department sends teams of American observers to fledgling democracies all over the world.
Examples
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Official statements from the EU and the US State Department each say the evidence shows Maduro lost.
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What did the State Department say?
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I have an uncle that has worked for the State Department for years.
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Everyone must work with the State Department.
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Many countries offered help and the State Department said it would ask for it if it were needed.
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Having decided on the journey, I went to the State Department for a briefing.
Academic text (1999) -
He led the US State Department's investigation into COVID origins.
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On one tour in 1960, sponsored by the State Department, Conover visited the Middle East.
Academic text (2015) -
I try to be evenhanded here, as the Arabists in the State Department used to put it.
Fiction book (2000) -
But on many important questions, the State Department's advice was decisively overruled.
Academic text (1999)
Synonyms
14
3.4
A United States government department that handles relations with other countries
3
5.1
A U.S. government department that deals with other countries
1
4.3
A US government department that handles relations with other countries
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'state' (government authority) + 'department' (an organizational unit), so a B1 learner who knows both words will infer it denotes a government administrative unit. Although in US usage the capitalized "State Department" can be a specific federal ministry (foreign affairs), the basic meaning is transparently derivable from its parts.
Etymology
State Department comes from the older use of State to mean the whole country and Department as a part of the government. Picture an office that speaks for the country to other nations, so it means 'the government office in charge of relations with other countries'.