headquarters

American  

[hed-kwawr-terz, -kwaw-] / ˈhɛdˌkwɔr tərz, -ˌkwɔ- /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

plural

headquarters

1. a center of operations, as of the police or a business, from which orders are issued; the chief administrative office of an organization.

   The operatives were always in touch with headquarters.

2. the offices or working location of a military commander; the place from which a commander customarily issues orders.

3. a military unit consisting of the commander, his staff, and other assistants.

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headquarters British  

/ ˌhɛdˈkwɔːtəz /

plural noun

1. any centre or building from which operations are directed, as in the military, the police, etc

2. a military formation comprising the commander, his staff, and supporting echelons

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Other Word Forms

• subheadquarters nounsubheadquarters

Etymology

Origin of headquarters

First recorded in 1640–50; head + quarters

Example Sentences

Gus Monday offers an architectural painting that drops a massive carnation into the middle of Oscar Niemeyer’s French Communist Party headquarters.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ken Griffin relocated himself and the headquarters of his Citadel hedge fund from Chicago to Miami.

From The Wall Street Journal

Greenpeace International in 2025 announced plans to counter-sue Energy Transfer in the Netherlands, where the NGO's international headquarters are, accusing the company of using nuisance lawsuits to suppress dissent.

From Barron's

Built on the site of Andrew Jackson’s headquarters in the War of 1812 and replete with marble staircases and stained glass, the hotel dates to 1908.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ms. MacDonald is clearly in the tank for Nintendo: This book wouldn’t be out of place in the gift shop of the company’s headquarters.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• command post
• main office
• nerve center