Definition of officenext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word office distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of office are duty, function, and province. While all these words mean "the acts or operations expected of a person or thing," 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

In what contexts can duty take the place of office?

While the synonyms duty and office are close in meaning, 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

When is it sensible to use function instead of office?

While in some cases nearly identical to office, 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

When could province be used to replace office?

The meanings of province and office largely overlap; however, 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of office The office floor plan has the kitchen counter next to the dining room, with the dining table extending off of it. — New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026 Instead of Billy bookcases, there’s a gorgeous office—a symphony of cypress surfaces—that Frank Lloyd Wright created for a department-store mogul. — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026 The SoftBank investment could hand a win for Anwar, who has staked his tenure on economic growth and development since taking office in 2022. — Jay Ganglani, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026 The man's identity has not been released, though Anderson said any identification would likely come from the coroner's office. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for office
Recent Examples of Synonyms for office
Noun
  • To accommodate those patients who’ve been admitted but don’t have a room, the hospital has installed dozens of beds in what was once the emergency department’s waiting room and in adjacent spaces.
    — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The local police department is conducting a criminal investigation into the events leading up to the collision and the actions of those involved, Kinnan said Wednesday.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The schools would share the Final Four administrative duties.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 28 Oct. 2026
  • In each of the future belligerent countries, elite schools would have long regarded it as their duty to instill in their pupils, the officer class in the making, a martial spirit.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Federal investigation now underway Emergency personnel from multiple agencies responded to the crash site, where wreckage from both helicopters was scattered across a rural field.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • After the conclusion of the World Series, Luke Maile, Jonathan India, Craig Kimbrel, Josh Rojas and Alec Marsh were among the players who departed Kansas City via free agency.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Such a division of responsibilities could allow Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to concentrate on demanding tasks such as area air defence, missile defence and long-range strike operations.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Those of us in public office and those with media platforms have a responsibility to challenge this prejudice, not legitimize it.
    — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The president fired James Comey as FBI director in May 2017 as the bureau was investigating ties between Russia and the Republican’s successful 2016 campaign for the White House.
    — Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Over and over for years these probes would continue, burning through the resources of five bureaus to turn up exactly the same information in every report.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Such a decision can affect production scheduling, inventory needs, employee activities and customers’ obligations.
    — Ramachander Rao Thallada, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Anthropic's off-balance-sheet obligations are similarly large.
    — Ashley Capoot,Jordan Novet,Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny,Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Soft, light wood is everywhere in closets, desks and headboards handcrafted by Santa Cruz Woodworks.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Biden had made headlines a year earlier after placing a 22-inch bronze bust of Chavez behind his desk in the Oval Office.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Both the Hesburgh Commission report in the early 1980s and the Jordan Commission report in the late 1990s emphasized the need for civic and social assimilation of immigrants.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2026
  • This eliminated the need to insert a key into an ignition lock entirely.
    — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 29 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Office.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/office. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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