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

The stop in Poland marked a break with tradition as U.S. presidents typically make a point of visiting stalwart allies like Britain, France and Germany in their opening months in office.

— darlene superville, The Seattle Times, "Trump opens second visit to Europe in Poland", 6 July 2017
In the past, Diaz-Balart has contacted the FAA on flight paths through downtown Miami and said the FAA made changes to the flight paths after his office reached out.

— alex daugherty, miamiherald, "Trump plan to overhaul air traffic control has key opponent: Mario Diaz-Balart", 5 July 2017
While in office, Johnson had complained about the Smothers to the head of CBS, who asked them to tone down the satire.

— vanityfair.com, "“Modern Day Presidential”: Has Trump’s Vulgarity Become the New Normal?", 3 July 2017
Office: Floor paint, Decorators White—Benjamin Moore (M); benjaminmoore.com.

— House Beautiful, "July/August 2017 Product Guide", 3 July 2017
School district offices were closed on Monday, and school officials were not available for comment.

— mará rose williams, kansascity.com, "Blue Springs schools allowed bullying that led to two suicides, lawsuit claims", 3 July 2017
Press briefings were more common when Woodrow Wilson took office in 1913.

— erin blakemore, Longreads, "The Press Has Always Been a Guest in the President’s Home", 1 July 2017
Beaux Arts Cocktail Lounge Open for business on April 16, 1947, sitting at the corner of Third and Chestnut, the Beaux Arts found itself in the midst of Louisville's business district with apartment buildings, offices and hotels surrounding it.

— andrew henderson, The Courier-Journal, "LGBT history 'reclaimed' in historic Louisville properties", 30 June 2017
Still, the process was a blast and the impressively tall rocket is a wonderful edition to our office.

— eric limer, Popular Mechanics, "Watch Us Assemble the Giant Lego Saturn V Rocket", 30 June 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!

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