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Glite Dictionary
Department of Veterans Affairs

Department of Veterans Affairs

8 3.5
A part of the United States government that gives benefits and services to military veterans
  • proper noun
  • Formal
translation icon : Departamento de Asuntos de Veteranos
  • Obama also addressed the major backlogs in the Department of Veterans Affairs for military benefits.
  • Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation
  • Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
  • Department of Veterans Affairs Research

Examples

  • The author acknowledges the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for its support of this research.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Historically, the Department of Veterans Affairs has been a leader in providing services to those veterans who are legally blind.

    Academic text (1995)

  • I will restore the strength of the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    Blog text (7)

  • Not much is going on at the federal level, except for one program administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

    Academic text (2001)

  • A design challenge sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs aims to rebuild it.

    Blog text (4)

  • The Department of Veterans Affairs maintains a resource division to assist homeless veterans with housing, job training, and health care.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Inc. had a contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs under which it provided service dogs trained to meet the needs of disabled veterans.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Some may scratch their heads at this notion, but look at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

    Blog text (16)

  • In the early 1990s, a similar struggle emerged over whether the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would recognize veterans' tobacco-related disease and disability.

    Academic text (2010)

  • The top health official at the Department of Veterans Affairs has resigned.

Synonyms

VA
vsDepartment of Veterans Affairs
  • US
134 4.4

A US government department that helps military veterans

has identical meaning but is expressed as the full official name rather than an abbreviation

Surface Forms

Department of Veterans Affairs main

Morphology

department + of + veteran + affairs

The meaning 'a governmental unit handling matters related to veterans' is directly derivable from combining 'department' (an organizational unit) with 'veterans' (people who served in the military) and 'affairs' (matters); the preposition 'of' simply links them. This compositional naming pattern (Department of X Affairs) is common in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Department of Veterans Affairs comes from the idea of a government department or office set up to look after veterans, 'people who used to be soldiers', and to manage their affairs, 'their problems and needs'. That's why today it means the part of government that gives services and benefits to veterans.