denomination

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See also: dénomination

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English denominacion, from Old French denominacion, from Latin dēnōminātiō.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (UK) IPA(key): /dɪˌnɒmɪˈneɪʃən/
  • Rhymes: -eɪʃən
  • (file)
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Noun[edit]

denomination (countable and uncountable, plural denominations)

  1. (uncountable) The act of naming or designating.
  2. (countable) That by which anything is denominated or styled; an epithet; a name, designation, or title; especially, a general name indicating a class of like individuals.
    • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter VII, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. [], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, [], →OCLC, page 46:
      "Will you allow me to present Sir George Evelyn to you?—the most accomplished coquet that ever 'Dealt destruction round the land On all he judged a foe;' under which denomination he ranks all women."
  3. (countable, religion) A class, or society of individuals, called by the same name; a subdivision of a religion.
    Hyponyms: order, sect
    She follows the Ahmadiyya denomination of Islam.
    • 2011, Paul M. Collins, Barry A. Ensign-George, Denomination: Assessing an Ecclesiological Category, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 6:
      Denomination does more than create space in which to discern, however. It also provides a means for living out differing forms of a faithful Christian life.
  4. (countable) A unit in a series of units of weight, money, etc.
    What denomination is that money? They are all 50 euro notes.
    • 1896, William Graham Sumner, chapter 11, in History of Banking in the United States:
      In 1823, a further issue of treasury notes was ordered to the amount of $100,000, in denominations of five to seventy-five cents, receivable for dues to the State.

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