denomination

noun

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

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

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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 on the Web

The discussions, which come as the denomination marks 100 years since women have been welcomed as messengers, already are making their way to the meeting floor. — Adelle M. Banks, Houston Chronicle, "Amid #MeToo culture, Southern Baptists mull ways to increase women’s roles," 16 June 2018 On Wednesday, the denomination will consider a resolution that could bar appearances by politicians, save for local leaders, at the annual meetings. — Daniel Burke, CNN, "Why some evangelicals don't want Vice President Pence to speak at their meeting," 13 June 2018 Finally, when in doubt, a small denomination gift card to a big box store/supercenter in their area is always a lifesaver. — Southern Living, "The Etiquette of Giving: Your Gift Questions Answered," 12 July 2018 The Methodist Book of Discipline does not spell out a process for churches to exit the denomination. — Sam Whiting, SFChronicle.com, "Bishop’s letter puts future of Glide Memorial, Cecil Williams in doubt," 24 June 2018 The Convention is a major force in conservative evangelicalism and is the largest Protestant denomination in the country. — Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, "Why Southern Baptists giving Mike Pence a platform is so controversial," 13 June 2018 Abbott spoke Tuesday in Dallas as part of the two-day annual meeting of the SBC, which is the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. with more than 47,000 churches. — Fox News, "The Latest: Texas governor says the faithful being silenced," 12 June 2018 But with 461,000 members and the nation's sixth largest Catholic school system with about 43,000 students, the archdiocese is the most influential denomination in the area. — Mark Curnutte, Cincinnati.com, "'Racism is a pro-life issue': The Catholic Church's latest response to racism in America," 3 June 2018 There are more than 8 million Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide, according to the website, which explains that Jehovah’s Witnesses are a Christian religion with many theological differences from other mainstream denominations. — Allison Carter, Indianapolis Star, "Indy 500 2018 live updates: celebrities, songs, partying in hot weather," 27 May 2018

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.

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Last Updated

18 Sep 2018

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The first known use of denomination was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for denomination

denomination

noun

Financial Definition of denomination

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

denomination

noun