front office

American  

noun

front offices plural

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

Derived Forms

• front-office
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• front offices
  plural

Etymology

Origin of front office

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Standing at a city hall podium, he thanked Dolan and the front office for “believing in a kid when no one else would.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

The Lakers made their first hire as they expand their front office this offseason, selecting Rohan Ramadas to be an assistant general manager.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Kings have employed a dizzying array of players, coaches, general managers and front office executives.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

For a second, I wonder if I should leave Michael’s costume in the front office with Miss McDaniels, but I won’t have time.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina