Defense Department
- noun
- /dɪˈfɛns dɪˈpɑrtmənt/
- US
- The Defense Department is responsible for managing the country's military resources.
- a Defense Department official
- the U.S. Defense Department
- Defense Department and security
So the way it starts is in space, meaning the US Defense Department has a early warning system.
- So the way it starts is in space, meaning the US Defense Department has a early warning system.
- And so one of the big funders now of this research is the Defense Department.
- And this is true, but the Inflation Reduction Acts total spending dwarfs the Defense Department.
- Because as it turns out, the only client that News Guard has that matters is the Defense Department's Cyber Command.
- Now, ultimately, the Defense Department will wait for second confirmation of that missile from a ground radar system.
- However, he did mention that we're going to allocate a trillion dollars to the Defense Department.
- Hegseth's Pete Hegseth's try to say that nomination to lead the Defense Department would get people talking.
- And I think we know now I mean, the Defense Department hired the what was it?
- And he attracted people who were like minded, who peopled the Defense Department, who built up our nuclear weapon systems.
- We are the top secret communications provider for, for not only the Defense Department, but for the, but for the nation writ large.
- It's led to the removal of in the Defense Department of documentary videos talking about the Tuskegee Airmen during World War Two.
Examples
-
Government and Defense Department officials are concerned by reports of panic in several large eastern cities.
-
Now, ultimately, the Defense Department will wait for second confirmation of that missile from a ground radar system.
-
Well, just by luck, I ran into a program officer in the Defense Department and what was then called the Advanced Research Projects Agency.
-
In this situation, the Defense Department would take the leading role.
Academic text (1998) -
A division within the U.S. Defense Department is called the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Blog text (23) -
The Defense Department in Washington has just confirmed the tragic news.
-
All evidence was thoroughly reviewed by top Defense Department analysts.
-
In 1988, the Defense Department adopted a new program for closer bilateral military relations with Mexico.
Academic text (2000) -
The Defense Department has just announced that the unidentified flying object has suddenly disappeared from our radar screen.
-
The Bush administration has recently succeeded in achieving a massive increase in funding for the Defense Department, reversing years of deferred investment.
Academic text (2003)
Synonyms
The part of the United States government that runs the military and protects the country
A large five-sided building in Arlington where US military leaders work
A United States government office that protects national security and manages the armed forces
A US government department that protects the country and runs the armed forces
A United States government department that protects the country's security and runs the armed forces
The United States military leaders and officials who make defense decisions
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward noun–noun compound: 'defense' (protection/military functions) + 'department' (organizational unit), so a learner who knows both words can infer it names the government unit responsible for defense. This compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common (e.g. 'Ministry/Department of Defense' in many languages), making the meaning transparent to B1 learners.
Etymology
Defense Department comes from the idea of one department in charge of defense, joining the different military branches so they could work together to 'protect' the country. So, Defense Department means the part of the U.S. government that runs the armed forces and 'protects' the nation.