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
Derived 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.
The trio touted their diplomatic credentials during a debate organised by independent organisations in Geneva, the city home to the UN's European headquarters.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
He told Mr. Hadhazy to go to 50 Rock, where the AP was located, and ordered me to walk as fast as I could to UPI’s 42nd Street headquarters.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
From 2011 to 2021, the state lost a net 2% of its total of around 47,000 headquarters, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
"There are currently no reports of harm to US personnel, and Iranian claims of damaging US 5th fleet headquarters in Bahrain are false," the command said in a statement.
From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026
As much as Farmer wanted to direct the PIH spotlight away from himself, he was known to drop in on the new headquarters like a mini-hurricane, commanding everyone’s attention.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
