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.
After Guantanamo, Hegseth visited the Tampa, Florida headquarters of US Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, including operations against Iran.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
The company invited TV crews to come to its New York headquarters so it could show off its surveillance and enforcement systems, and it launched an ad campaign that focused on banning insider trading.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
McClain’s loan was so large now, more than $50 million, it needed approval from Rabo’s Utrecht, Netherlands, 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
Shortly after the Boston meeting, Jim went to WHO headquarters in Geneva.
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.
