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

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The Department of State is warning Americans planning travel to the Middle East to seriously reconsider their trip as the security situation continues to evolve throughout the region. — Dana Sauchelli, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026 The businesses filed the lawsuit against the Texas Department of State Health Services, Attorney General Ken Paxton, Galveston County Criminal District Attorney Jack Roady and Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen. — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2026 Mike Ejiofor, a former director of the Department of State Services, the country’s domestic-intelligence agency, told me that the police and the military do not have the resources to deal with the situation. — Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 The restrictions stem from a Texas Supreme Court decision that lifted an injunction blocking enforcement of a 2021 rule from the Texas Department of State Health Services. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for Department of State

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Department of State
department stamp
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“Department of State.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Department%20of%20State. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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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.
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