denomination

noun

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

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

di-ˌnä-mə-ˈnā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

denominationally adverb

Synonyms of denomination

• name
• moniker
• nomenclature
• title
• designation
• appellation

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

Another condemned the preference shown for evangelical Christian translations of the Bible instead of a diversity of translations that are inclusive of many denominations. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 June 2026

Skeptics said that for a denomination with more than 40,000 churches and millions of members, those numbers were lamentable but not symptoms of a widespread crisis. — ABC News, 25 June 2026

The first wines, from the 2021 vintage, reached the market in early 2025, and more than half the denomination’s producers have already signed up. — Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Vance, in pursuit of a religious denomination and an élite legal career, apparently knew where to find them both. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 19 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

see denominate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for denomination

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

denomination

noun

de·​nom·​i·​na·​tion di-ˌnäm-ə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: an act of denominating

2

: one of a series of related values each having a special name

a $5 bill represents one denomination of U.S. money

3

: name entry 1 sense 1, designation

especially : a general name for a class of things

4

: a religious body made up of a number of congregations with similar beliefs

denominational

-shnəl 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective