department and section share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. department means “a specialized division of a large organization”. section means “a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)”. department is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/dɪˈpɑɹtmənt/
1.n.a specialized division of a large organization
“you'll find it in the hardware department”
2.n.the territorial and administrative division of some countries (such as France)
3.n.a specialized sphere of knowledge
“baking is not my department”
| department | section | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /dɪˈpɑɹtmənt/ | /ˈsɛkʃən/ |
| Said | di-PAHRT-muhnt | SEK-shuhn |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Letters | 10 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 3 | 15 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | section | subdivision |
Full entry for department · Full entry for section · More comparisons
/ˈsɛkʃən/
1.n.a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)
“he always turns first to the business section”
2.n.a very thin slice (of tissue or mineral or other substance) for examination under a microscope
“sections from the left ventricle showed diseased tissue”
3.n.a distinct region or subdivision of a territorial or political area or community or group of people
“no section of the nation is more ardent than the South”