Oval Office

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.

Oval Office

noun

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

2. the US presidency

Oval Office

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.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Oval Office¹

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