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 Michigan Department of State and State Police confirmed that a bomb threat reported at a polling location in Gibraltar, Michigan, is deemed not credible. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

The Department of State collected public comments on the proposal for two months. — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026

Before teaching at Stanford, Weiner practiced international law in the US Department of State for more than a decade. — Kylie Jones, Vox, 25 Oct. 2026

The California Department of State Hospitals contracts with Liberty Healthcare to supervise people convicted of specific crimes and who also struggle with significant mental health conditions. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 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.