headquarters

[hed-kwawr-terz, -kwaw-]

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.

headquarters

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• subheadquarters noun subheadquarters

Word History and Origins

Origin of headquarters¹

First recorded in 1640–50; head + quarters

Example Sentences

Presidents came and went while Hoover sat in FBI headquarters like an all-seeing toad.

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Jamie Dimon was sitting on the 13th floor of his new headquarters on a Monday morning, sipping a Guinness and looking out at the Manhattan skyline.

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It was held in an on-site chapel at Legacy's headquarters.

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Mr. Wallace concludes with the triumphant campaign to win the headquarters of the United Nations for New York after World War II, a twistier tale than one might imagine.

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In brief, Citicorp is seeking to build a new headquarters in New York, at a time when New York is mired in rampant street crime, white flight and financial collapse.

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Related Words

• command post 
• main office www.thesaurus.com
• nerve center