office

American  

[aw-fis, of-is] / ˈɔ fɪs, ˈɒf ɪs /

noun

• offices
  plural

1. a room, set of rooms, or building where the business of a commercial or industrial organization or of a professional person is conducted.

   the main office of an insurance company; a doctor's office.

2. a room assigned to a specific person or a group of persons in a commercial or industrial organization.

   Her office is next to mine.

3. a business or professional organization.

   He went to work in an architect's office.

4. the staff or designated part of a staff at a commercial or industrial organization.

   The whole office was at his wedding.

5. a position of duty, trust, or authority, especially in the government, a corporation, a society, or the like.

   She was elected twice to the office of president.

   Synonyms:

   situation, berth, station, post

6. employment or position as an official.

   to seek office.

7. the duty, function, or part of a particular person or agency.

   to act in the office of adviser.

   Synonyms:

   trust, charge, responsibility

8. (initial capital letter) an operating agency or division of certain departments of the U.S. Government.

   Office of Community Services.

9. (initial capital letter) a major administrative unit or department of the national government.

   the Foreign Office.

10. Slang. hint, signal, or warning; high sign.

11. Often offices. something, whether good or bad, done or said for or to another.

    He obtained a position through the offices of a friend.

12. Ecclesiastical.

    1. the prescribed order or form for a service of the church or for devotional use.

    2. the services so prescribed.

    3. Also called divine office. the prayers, readings from Scripture, and psalms that must be recited every day by all who are in major orders.

    4. a ceremony or rite, especially for the dead.

13. a service or task to be performed; assignment; chore.

    little domestic offices.

    Synonyms:

    duty, work

14. Chiefly British. offices,

    1. the parts of a house, as the kitchen, pantry, or laundry, devoted mainly to household work.

    2. the stables, barns, cowhouses, etc., of a farm.

15. Older Slang. privy.

---

office British  

/ ˈɒfɪs /

noun

1. 1. a room or set of rooms in which business, professional duties, clerical work, etc, are carried out

   2. ( as modifier )

      office furniture

      an office boy

2. (often plural) the building or buildings in which the work of an organization, such as a business or government department, is carried out

3. a commercial or professional business

   the architect's office approved the plans

4. the group of persons working in an office

   it was a happy office until she came

5. (capital when part of a name) (in Britain) a department of the national government

   the Home Office

6. (capital when part of a name)

   1. a governmental agency, esp of the Federal government

   2. a subdivision of such an agency or of a department

      Office of Science and Technology

7. 1. a position of trust, responsibility, or duty, esp in a government or organization

      the office of president

      to seek office

   2. ( in combination )

      an office-holder

8. duty or function

   the office of an administrator

9. (often plural) a minor task or service

   domestic offices

10. (often plural) an action performed for another, usually a beneficial action

    through his good offices

11. a place where tickets, information, etc, can be obtained

    a ticket office

12. Christianity

    1. (often plural) a ceremony or service, prescribed by ecclesiastical authorities, esp one for the dead

    2. the order or form of these

    3. RC Church the official daily service

    4. short for divine office

13. (plural) the parts of a house or estate where work is done, goods are stored, etc

14. euphemistic (usually plural) a lavatory (esp in the phrase usual offices )

15. (of a government) in power

16. (of a government) out of power

17. slang a hint or signal

---

office Idioms  

1. see box office; front office; land-office business; take office.

---

Usage

What is an 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. 

Synonym Usage

See appointment.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• outoffice
  noun
• suboffice
  noun
• officeless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• offices
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of office

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin officium “service, duty, ceremony,” presumably contraction of opificium, from opi- (combining form akin to opus opus ) + -fic- (combining form of facere “to do, make”) + -ium -ium

---

Explanation

If you have an office job, it means that you go to work in an office, or a professional business place, every day. Your office is the place you work, meeting with colleagues, sitting at a desk, and wearing sneakers on Casual Friday. The President of the United States has an office too, but it's a different kind: his or her office is a position of power. All government officials can be described as holding or taking office, which is when they assume the control and responsibilities that come with their important jobs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

office offices

Tuesday was the last day for mail-in ballots to be counted, said Mike Sanchez, spokesperson for the office.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026

Schumer will turn 76 this month and has been in Congress since Ronald Reagan was president; Jeffries is just 56 but has already held political office for nearly two decades.

From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2026

A-CAP told Wise’s office that it had converted the outstanding balance and principal to a new investment called Caboose Holdings, which is now a subsidiary of A-CAP.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026

He left his job at Home Goods for a higher-paying job at the post office.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026

On Monday, I took Lorren’s package to the post office.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Hundreds of anti-Jeffries calls and emails have reportedly flooded congressional offices since the midterms.

From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2026

Ratcliffe's home is in Monaco and his company Ineos has offices in the principality.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026

It has more than $300 billion in real-estate assets under management and offices in 27 cities around the world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026

On LinkedIn, it says it has offices in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, with around two to 10 employees and 25 "associated members".

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026

There were so many people accused of being Reds or Communist sympathizers that the prisons had become overcrowded and they were holding people in the administrative offices.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• agency
• building
• bureau
• center
• department
• facility
• factory
• room
• shop
• store
• suite

---