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

SEOUL—At a Wednesday announcement at the Oval Office, President Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and top Alaskan officials announced a roughly $50 billion investment by the South Korean government into an Alaska liquefied-natural-gas pipeline.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

"I'm thinking about it," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

So on Air Force One, for example, or in the Oval Office, the White House press pool accompanies the president to those kinds of places, and when he travels, accompanies him.

From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026

It is a group of news organisations that combine resources to follow presidents wherever they are - in the Oval Office, at state dinners, on Air Force One or on holiday.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

At the White House the next morning, General Goodpaster walked into the Oval Office.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin