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

A photograph of the two leaders shared on Netanyahu's X account shows the two men seated in the Oval Office, smiling towards the camera.

From BBC ● 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

“So far, it hasn’t happened. It might happen but we take care of things, if something like that happens,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

A March 19 conversation in the Oval Office revealed a different reason for prolonging the Vietnam War.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin