denomination

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noun de·nom·i·na·tion \di-ˌnä-mə-ˈnā-shən\

Updated on: 26 Jul 2017

Definition of denomination

1 : an act of denominating the denomination of prices in U.S. dollars
2 : a value or size of a series of values or sizes metric denominations; especially : the value of a particular coin or bill bills in $20 and $50 denominations
3 : name, designation; especially : a general name for a category listed under the general denomination of gifts
4 : a religious organization whose congregations are united in their adherence to its beliefs and practices people from several different Christian denominations

denominational

play \-shnəl, -shə-n^əl\ adjective

denominationally

adverb

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Examples of denomination in a Sentence

People from several different religious denominations participated in the event.
Methodists, Baptists, and other Christian denominations.
It's one of the more conservative denominations.
The kidnappers asked for bills in small denominations.
The gift certificates are available in $5 and $10 denominations.
She spoke with people of many different political denominations.

Recent Examples of denomination from the Web

But there was a problem: New York law bars religious denominations from running charters, even if, as Faulkner promised, the school would teach a secular curriculum.

— matt barnum, The Atlantic, "Will Churches Ever Be Allowed to Run Charter Schools?," 19 July 2017
There were not enough Protestants of any of the non-Catholic denominations to afford the building of a church.

— adele foster, NOLA.com, "Mandeville Bible Church, established in 1876, breathes history on Carroll Street," 16 July 2017
The religious landscape of early America encompassed more than competing Christian denominations, and these smaller communities are also represented.

— meilan solly, Smithsonian, "Why Religious Freedom and Diversity Flourished in Early America," 15 July 2017
Current practices also vary across the denomination.

— emma green, The Atlantic, "A Conservative Christian Battle Over Gender," 5 July 2017
At a recent regional A.M.E. conference, the denomination’s area leader, Bishop Gregory Ingram, encouraged local congregations to embark on innovative programs.

— kristin e. holmes, Philly.com, "From bike shop to drive-thru prayer, churches try thinking outside the pew," 3 July 2017
The site, with its iconic leaning minaret even appears on the 10,000 Iraqi Dinar note (a denomination equal to about eight and a half U.S. dollars).

— jared malsin, Time, "What the Destruction of the Mosul Mosque Shows About ISIS," 23 June 2017
The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the country, with more than 15 million members and 46,500 churches, held its annual meeting in Phoenix this week.

— lihle mtshali, Essence.com, "Yes, The Southern Baptist Convention Initially Refused To Condemn White Supremacy," 17 June 2017
The convention brings together leaders and members to discuss events and trends occurring within the evangelical denomination's churches nationwide.

— lihle mtshali, Essence.com, "Yes, The Southern Baptist Convention Initially Refused To Condemn White Supremacy," 17 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'denomination.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of denomination

see denominate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

Financial Definition of DENOMINATION

denomination

noun

What It Is

Usually associated with currency, a denomination is the value specified on a monetary instrument.

How It Works

Denomination values are graduated and usually divisible by some common denominator (hence, 'denomination'). For example, in addition to the $1 bill, denominations of U.S. paper money include $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes, all divisible by 5.

Though denominations are generally discussed with regard to currency, financial instruments such as bonds are also generally issued in different denominations.

Why It Matters

Where currency is concerned, denominations provide the bearer with a range of values depending on how much money he or she will need to spend. In the case of financial instruments such as bonds, denominations provide investors with a range of values based on what they are able to afford.

Source: Investing Answers