headquarters
Americannoun
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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.
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the offices or working location of a military commander; the place from which a commander customarily issues orders.
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a military unit consisting of the commander, his staff, and other assistants.
plural noun
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any centre or building from which operations are directed, as in the military, the police, etc
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a military formation comprising the commander, his staff, and supporting echelons
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of headquarters
Explanation
The main office of an organization is its headquarters. The headquarters of your favorite video game company might be in New York. Companies, clubs, and religious groups all have headquarters, or a central administrative location. Militaries also have headquarters, although the word has a slightly different meaning in that context — military headquarters are where commanders and their staffs live and work. The word has been around since the 1600's, from the "most important or principal" meaning of head and quarters, originally "military dwelling place," and later "lodgings."
Vocabulary lists containing headquarters
Superhero Lexicon
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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.
"It's very useful in a military headquarters or when faced with tactical coordination questions on the battlefield," Mensch said.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
The label has operational headquarters in Santa Monica and corporate headquarters in Hilversum, Netherlands.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
Police in Spain have raided the Madrid headquarters of the governing Socialist Party and seized a number of documents as part of an investigation into alleged corruption.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
The company has headquarters in Charlotte and Winston-Salem, N.C., and has several shops in Southern California, including in Gardena, Long Beach and Orange County.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
But Marti privately took some pleasure in imagining the scene in KGB headquarters on Monday morning.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
