Oval Office

noun

1. the office of the president of the United States, located in the White House.
2. this office regarded as the seat of executive power in the U.S. federal government.

Oval Office

noun

1. the private office of the president of the US, a large oval room in the White House
2. the US presidency

Oval Office

1. An oval-shaped room in the White House that serves as the official office of the president of the United States. Since the presidency of Richard Nixon , the term has been used to refer to the president himself: “The order came directly from the Oval Office.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Oval Office¹

An Americanism dating back to 1960–65; so called from the shape of the room

Example Sentences

He had planned to give his State of the Union address that evening, but instead addressed the nation about the tragedy from his Oval Office desk.

From Fortune

He attended White House strategy sessions on Vietnam and Israel; a private phone line linked his court office to the Oval Office.

From The Daily Beast

His Oval Office radio addresses were famously labeled “Fireside Chats” and he called listening citizens “my friends.”

From The Daily Beast

Do Americans prefer a stressed out president — no fun, no sun, no life outside of the Oval Office or the Situation Room?

From The Daily Beast

These types of comments coming from the White House, from the Oval Office, it takes your breath away.

From The Daily Beast

These terms still apply even when the other guy is in the Oval Office.

From The Daily Beast