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

Eventually, he said “we successfully convinced the front office that we should only be going after UCLA.”

From Los Angeles Times

“But everyone understood the front office was demanding this.”

From Salon

Granted, that’s unlikely to happen, considering the wide interest Tucker is reportedly attracting, including from the Toronto Blue Jays and their suddenly big-spending front office.

From Los Angeles Times

Walter tasked Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and former general manager Farhan Zaidi to assess the Lakers’ front office operations.

From Los Angeles Times

“So, just…hang in there. Let us handle this. I’ll call the front office now, and I’ll let Jonesy and the school know the very second we find her. Try to stay calm.”

From Literature