Department of State

noun phrase

: the part of the U.S. government that is responsible for how the U.S. deals with other countries

Examples of Department of State in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Earlier this month, the Texas Department of State Health Services released new regulations that prohibit the sale of smokable hemp products in Texas. —Erin Jones, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026

The White House and the Department of State did not respond to requests for comment about the status of Landa’s nomination. —Eli Cahan, ProPublica, 23 Mar. 2026

Administered by the Department of State, these programs partner with cities, villages, and towns across New York to transform underused spaces into vibrant hubs of housing, commerce, culture, and community life. —Walter Mosely, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026

Beginning March 31, smokable cannabis, often marketed as hemp, can no longer be sold under new rules adopted by the Texas Department of State Health Services. —Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Mar. 2026

Rhymes for Department of State

• borosilicate
• decontaminate
• deoxycholate
• deteriorate
• differentiate
• diisocyanate
• dinoflagellate
• excommunicate
• incapacitate
• insubordinate
• intercorporate
• interpenetrate

Legal Definition

Department of State

Agency

federal executive division responsible for carrying out U.S. foreign policy. It is the president's principal means of conducting treaty negotiations and effecting agreements with foreign nations. Under its control are the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, seven bureaus of political affairs, the U.S. Foreign Service (including 270 embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions, and numerous subagencies), and various offices of diplomatic security, foreign intelligence, policy analysis, international narcotics control, protocol, and passport and medical services. The department's legal adviser advises the secretary of state on all matters of international law arising in the conduct of foreign relations.