Department
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary · Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary
A portion of a country. In Prance, the country is divided into departments, which are somewhat similar to the counties in this country. The United States have been divided into military departments, including certain portions of the country.
1 Pet. (U. S.) 293.
These departments are, for the purposes for which they are created, under the immediate government of some officer, who is, in turn, responsible to his superior. A portion of the agents employed by the executive branch of the United States government, to whom a specified class of duties is assigned.