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

The United States Department of State warned travelers to be cautions when heading to a specific area in the Southeast Asian country of Malaysia. —Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026

Michigan Attorney General's office The scam includes a QR code that the attorney general's office said appears to be from the Michigan Department of State, but is not. —Paula Wethington, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026

The United States Department of State Consular Affairs division issued a public advisory. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026

In the past school year, Austin ISD kindergarteners had vaccination rates between 74% and 84%, depending on the immunization, according to Texas Department of State Health Services data. —Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 27 Feb. 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.