office

An office is a room, rooms, or a building where business is conducted, as in I gave my sister a ride to the doctor’s office.

An office is also a designated room where a person does their work, as in Dr. Brown’s office is the second one on the left down the hall. 

Office can more generally refer to an entire business or organization, as in I got a new job at an accountant’s office. 

Office can also refer to a business’s entire staff or a specific part of it, as in The birthday cake was shared with the entire office. 

Finally, office is also a position of authority or the duties of such a position, such as The office of the President of the United States. 

Example: The lawyer spent most of her time at her office in the law firm rather than actually going to court. 

The first records of the word office come from around 1200. It ultimately comes from the Latin officium, meaning “service” or “duty,” made from combining opus, meaning “work,” and facere, meaning “to do.” The word office often refers to the place where you work or the duties you are responsible for as part of your work.

Office is a common word that some people are unhappy to hear because it reminds them of their job. Middle management jobs are often referred to as “office jobs” because you usually have your own office or you work in a cubicle in your company’s office.

These jobs in particular are often depicted in popular culture as being especially boring and bureaucratic. The word office has been used in popular works that humorously depict such jobs, like the comedy film Office Space (1999) and the both the British version of the comedy TV series “The Office” (1995) and the American version (2001).

What are some other forms related to office?

• officeless (adjective)
• outoffice (noun)
• suboffice (noun)

What are some synonyms for office?

• agency
• center
• facility
• job
• service

What are some words that share a root or word element with office? 

• official
• office bearer
• office block
• officeholder

What are some words that often get used in discussing office?

• company
• job
• desk
• supplies
• hours

Office is a very common word that is often used to describe a person’s job or workplace.

My office is a mess because I'm building a cocoon of candy wrappers around me. Then I'll sleep for weeks and emerge as a beautiful butterfly! I'm pretty sure this will work.

— 🤐 (@ZipperMouth_) October 27, 2020

if you work in an office with other people and do not wear shoes i cannot trust you

— Sun Destroyer 999 (@bombsfall) October 27, 2020

It’s Halloween dress up day at work. I’ll be in my office dressed like a guy sitting in his office.

— Joe Mayberry (@jgolf1) October 30, 2020

True or False?

The word office can refer to an entire building where a company performs business and to a single room where one specific employee works.