good offices
Americanplural noun
-
influence, especially with a person in a position of power.
He got the job through the good offices of his uncle.
-
services rendered by a mediator in a dispute.
Etymology
Origin of good offices
First recorded in 1900–05
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Very fruitful visit to Pakistan, whose good offices and brotherly efforts to bring back peace to our region we very much value,” Abbas Araghchi said External link.
From Barron's ● Apr. 25, 2026
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres should use his good offices to find a lasting solution.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 1, 2022
Dujarric said the secretary-general also wants the Venezuelan people to understand “that his good offices remain available should both sides request them.”
From Fox News ● Apr. 30, 2019
For his good offices, Kennedy asked to be named ambassador to the Court of St. James’s. Roosevelt reportedly laughed at the thought: No one was less diplomatic than Joe Kennedy.
From New York Times ● Nov. 15, 2016
“You have presumed upon my good offices and then deceived me. Now, I am going to have you arrested.”
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
