Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • The United States federal department responsible for programs and services supporting farmers, agricultural research, soil conservation, and farm economic stability: "Department of Agriculture" refers to a specific executive department of the U.S. government, established in 1862.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The Department of Agriculture issued new guidelines for crop subsidies.
  • She works as an economist for the Department of Agriculture.
  • Funding for the conservation program comes from the Department of Agriculture.

Advanced Usage

• "the USDA": This is the common acronym for the Department of Agriculture.
  • For food safety information, check the USDA website.
• Preceded by the definite article "the": The full name is almost always used as "the Department of Agriculture" or "the U.S. Department of Agriculture."

Variants and Related Words

• USDA: (Acronym) Stands for United States Department of Agriculture. This is the standard abbreviated form.
  • The USDA organic label is widely recognized.
• Agriculture Department: A less common variant with the same meaning.
  • The report was published by the Agriculture Department.

Synonyms

• USDA: The primary synonym, used interchangeably in most contexts.

Notes on Meaning

• This term specifically refers to the United States federal agency. Other countries have similar departments but with different official names (e.g., the Ministry of Agriculture).
• It is a singular proper noun referring to the organization as a whole.

Noun

1. the federal department that administers programs that provide services to farmers (including research and soil conservation and efforts to stabilize the farming economy); created in 1862