front office

American  

noun

1. the executive or administrative office of a company, organization, etc.

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front office Idioms  

1. The policy-making or executive individuals in an organization, as in I'll have to check with the front office before I can give you a discount. This term was originally underworld slang for police headquarters or the main detective bureau. It soon was extended to other administrative offices and their personnel. [c. 1900]

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Other Word Forms

• front-office
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of front office

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

The brothers of Jeanie Buss worked in the front office, with Joey serving as alternate governor, vice president of research and development and the chief executive of the G League team.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

The Red Sox have burned through multiple groups of front office and dugout bosses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

Ogwumike said part of that was the investment in a practice facility, set to debut in 2027, and that the front office, led by Pebley, had a plan to build a winning team.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

His future would be in the front office.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

“For some reason the helpers in the front office didn’t know who to give ‘Jessica’ mail to, so they collected it in a box.”

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen