Oval Office

American  

noun

1. the office of the president of the United States, located in the White House.

2. this office regarded as the seat of executive power in the U.S. federal government.

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Oval Office British  

noun

1. the private office of the president of the US, a large oval room in the White House

2. the US presidency

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Oval Office Cultural  

1. An oval-shaped room in the White House that serves as the official office of the president of the United States. Since the presidency of Richard Nixon, the term has been used to refer to the president himself: “The order came directly from the Oval Office.”

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Etymology

Origin of Oval Office

An Americanism dating back to 1960–65; so called from the shape of the room

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Oval Office

Trump wrote on social media, alongside photos of himself with Netanyahu in the Oval Office.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

Both meetings took place in the Oval Office without the presence of reporters, and while few details were disclosed about the discussion, the White House described the sessions as “positive and productive.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Both CEOs have appeared with Trump in the Oval Office and traveled with him to China earlier this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Swinney said he had raised the issue with President Trump during a previous meeting in the Oval Office.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

It was a brutally honest admission, spoken aloud in the Oval Office.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge