office

play

noun of·fice \ˈä-fəs, ˈȯ-\

Definition of office

1a : a special duty, charge, or position conferred by an exercise of governmental authority and for a public purpose : a position of authority to exercise a public function and to receive whatever emoluments may belong to itb : a position of responsibility or some degree of executive authority
2 [Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin officium, from Latin] : a prescribed form or service of worship; specifically, capitalized : divine office
3 : a religious or social ceremonial observance : rite
4a : something that one ought to do or must do : an assigned or assumed duty, task, or roleb : the proper or customary action of something : functionc : something done for another : service
5 : a place where a particular kind of business is transacted or a service is supplied: such asa : a place in which the functions of a public officer are performedb : the directing headquarters of an enterprise or organizationc : the place in which a professional person conducts business
6 offices plural, chiefly British : the apartments, attached buildings, or outhouses in which the activities attached to the service of a house are carried on
7a : a major administrative unit in some governments British Foreign Officeb : a subdivision of some government departments Patent Office

See office defined for English-language learners

See office defined for kids

Examples of office in a Sentence

She works at our Chicago office.
Are you going to the office today?
The supervisor held an informal meeting in his office.
Her office is on the top floor near the elevator.
He misbehaved in class and was sent to the principal's office.
We use the extra bedroom in our house as an office.
We stopped by the lawyer's office to pick up some documents.
He has been in office for a decade.
He was voted out of office.
He won the election and will take office at the beginning of the year.

Recent Examples of office from the Web

In recent years, box office receipts have been high—2015 shattered the previous record, nudging past $11 billion—but much of that profit is based on people paying higher prices.

— cheri lucas rowlands, Longreads, "In a League of His Own: One Man’s Mission to Make Moviegoing Fun Again," 20 July 2017
Police and the medical examiner's office did not release information on his death until Wednesday.

— chicago tribune staff, chicagotribune.com, "Bolingbrook 15-year-old shot to death on West Side," 19 July 2017
As such, the calculus for Detroit’s front office was likely that three mediocre prospects in hand are worth more than a future prospect in the bush.

— jon tayler, SI.com, "J.D. Martinez trade boosts Diamondbacks' playoff contenion, sparks Tigers' remodeling," 18 July 2017
The sheriff’s office updated the body count to two the following week.

— michael katz, idahostatesman, "Skeletal remains found in Mountain Home in April estimated to be from as early as 1436," 18 July 2017
The deterioration at McMurdo can be seen as an extension of the national infrastructure crisis that President Trump ran for office vowing to fix, even if the problems are 8,000 miles from the mainland United States.

— justin gillis and jonathan corum, New York Times, "Where Else Does the U.S. Have an Infrastructure Problem? Antarctica," 17 July 2017
The box office is designed to be accessible for people with disabilities with a lower window for people in wheelchairs.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Havre de Grace Opera House opening week is Aug. 6-13," 17 July 2017
Altaworx, which provides business technology services, has leased 4,403 square feet of Class A office space to be built at 455 Magnolia Ave.

— kathy jumper, AL.com, "Ho hum, more million-dollar buyers," 16 July 2017
Li recently claimed his ticket at the lottery’s San Diego district office.

— allison sampite-montecalvo, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Man buys lottery ticket worth $3.1 Million in Chula Vista," 16 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'office.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of office

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin officium service, duty, office, from opus work + facere to make, do — more at operate, do

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of office

function, office, duty, province mean the acts or operations expected of a person or thing. function implies a definite end or purpose or a particular kind of work. the function of language is two-fold: to communicate emotion and to give information — Aldous Huxley office is typically applied to the function or service associated with a trade or profession or a special relationship to others. they exercise the offices of the judge, the priest, the counsellor — W. E. Gladstone duty applies to a task or responsibility imposed by one's occupation, rank, status, or calling. it is the judicial duty of the court, to examine the whole case — R. B. Taney province applies to a function, office, or duty that naturally or logically falls to one. I felt it was not my province to inquire — Anne Brontë

OFFICE Defined for English Language Learners

office

play

noun

Definition of office for English Language Learners

: a building or room in which people work at desks doing business or professional activities
: a room with a desk where a particular person works
: a building or room where a doctor, lawyer, etc., works and meets with patients or clients

OFFICE Defined for Kids

office

play

noun of·fice \ˈȯ-fəs\

Definition of office for Students

1 : a place where business is done or a service is supplied a doctor's office
2 : a special duty or position and especially one of authority in government My uncle wants to run for office.

Law Dictionary

office

noun of·fice

Legal Definition of office

1 : a special duty, charge, or position conferred by governmental authority and for a public purpose qualified to hold public office; broadly : a special duty or position of authority hold an office of trust
2 : a place where business or administration is conducted or services are performed
3 : a special administrative department or unit office of the district attorney