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

On Thursday, Biden's executive order will expand the Justice Department effort to include U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Department of Commerce and Department of State, which could address the import and monetization of these devices. —Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024

In the event a report is filed late, there is a fee of $31 — and according to the Department of State, late reports are common. —Eye On Michigan, Detroit Free Press, 23 Sep. 2024

Kiron Skinner, a former Trump administration official who authored a chapter on the Department of State, is from Chicago. —Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Sep. 2024

However, in a paper circulated by the U.S. Department of State, refugee admissions were shown to have not affected wages or employment for natives over a 30-year study period. —Anita Alves Pena, The Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2024

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.