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
“I think we would urge the secretary-general to use his good offices because it is such a crisis.”
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 4, 2022
"Switzerland continues to stand ready to offer its good offices, that's a permanent offer," Johannes Matyassy, deputy head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, told journalists during a press conference.
From Reuters ● Aug. 20, 2021
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
Finally, he embarked on a number of prolonged trips to Mecca and the newly independent African states through the good offices of the representatives of the Arab League in the United States.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
