noun

denomination

dih-nah-mih-NAY-shuhn/dɪˌnɑːmɪˈneɪʃn/

A named category within a larger system.

These churches represent different denominations within the same religious tradition.

Three distinct modest church buildings representing named branches of one religious tradition.

Etymology

deLatincompletely

+nominLatinto name

+ationLatinaction or process

With an intensive prefix attached to “name,” the word first meant an act of naming. It then meant a collective designation, next a group of people, and finally a religious group.

In context

Theosophical Society0:45

I am a high priestess a wiccan high priestess in the assembly of the sacred wheel which is my tradition. It's kind of like a denomination.

Heroes, Apotheosis and the Heroic Path: The World Needs Us to Be Heroes

More examples

The machine accepts bills of every denomination.
These stamps come in several denominations.
Her family belongs to a different religious denomination.

Forms

denomination · denominations

denominational adjective — Relating to a particular religious branch.

Similar words

category: A broader term for any group sharing common features.
branch: Emphasizes a subdivision of an organization, especially a religion.