State Department
8
3.4
- noun
- /steɪt dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/
- Formal
:
departamento estatal
- Annual data on suspensions and academic performance are publicly available through the state department's website.
- State Department of Education
- State Department of Health
- State Department of Agriculture
Examples
-
We worked with our state department of education to obtain approval for innovative types of instructional arrangements.
Academic text (1991) -
The substance was then brought to the State Department of Health of Washington for further analysis.
Blog text (10) -
I have to call the state department.
-
What do you think our State Department would do about that?
Academic text (1994) -
I will be back in touch after checking with the State Department on what I can say.
Academic text (2013) -
Earlier, he was Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health.
Blog text (6) -
As early as 1974, the Virginia State Department of Education developed a K-12 environmental education curriculum guide.
Academic text (1994) -
Recommendations need to be made to the state departments of education by state professional organizations and/or degree-granting institutions.
Academic text (1990) -
In other words, both the Defense and State Departments were now favoring early missile deployment, despite economic and technical shortcomings.
Academic text (1994) -
The New York State Department oversees environmental protection initiatives.
Synonyms
∞
1.8
A part of a company or organization that does a particular job
6
2.5
A part of government that runs public services like schools
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 can also mean a department inside one of the 50 U.S. states, where State means that single state and Department means an office that handles tasks. Think of a local office that manages things like schools or vehicle rules, so it means 'a state government's administrative office'.