office

noun

of·​fice ˈä-fəs 

ˈȯ-

1

a

: 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 it

b

: a position of responsibility or some degree of executive authority

2

: a prescribed form or service of worship

specifically, Office : divine office

3

: a religious or social ceremonial observance : rite

4

a

: something that one ought to do or must do : an assigned or assumed duty, task, or role

b

: the proper or customary action of something : function

c

: something done for another : service

5

: a place where a particular kind of business is transacted or a service is supplied: such as

a

: a place in which the functions of a public officer are performed

b

: the directing headquarters of an enterprise or organization

c

: 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

7

a

: a major administrative unit in some governments

British Foreign Office

b

: a subdivision of some government departments

Patent Office

Synonyms

• department
• agency
• bureau
• desk

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

Republicans have not captured the governor’s office since 2013 and New Jersey has backed the Democratic nominee in every presidential contest since 1988. —Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025

Trump was close to Abe, who was assassinated after leaving office. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025

In a new joint venture redeveloping the marina, Everett Landco announced plans to take down storage tanks and dismantle offices at the location this month, per NBC News. —Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025

In the Bernabeu offices, there was quiet satisfaction at Tebas’ plan breaking down. —Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "position of authority, duties of a position, proper function, ecclesiastical service, space used for business or domestic functions," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin officium "beneficial act in fulfillment of an obligation, duty, functions in a position, post" (Late Latin, "ecclesiastical service"), contraction of opificium (attested in sense "constructive work"), from opi- (base of opis, *ops "power, ability" and oper-, opus "work, effort") + facere "to make, do, bring about" + -ium, deverbal suffix of function or state — more at opus, do entry 1

Note: Though officium is formally a contraction of opificium, their senses diverge, the latter noun maintaining a transparent relation to the agent noun opifex "craftsman, artificer."

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing office

• back-office
• booking office
• box office
• enter office
• foreign office
• front office
• home office
• inter-office
• land office
• land-office business
• main/home office
• oath of office
• office boy
• office girl
• office hours
• office park
• office politics
• patent office
• post office
• post office box
• press office
• printing office
• register office
• registry office
• run for office
• take office
• term of/in office
• ticket office

Rhymes for office

• interoffice

Kids Definition

office

noun

of·​fice ˈäf-əs 

ˈȯf-

1

: a special duty or post and especially one of authority in government

hold public office

2

: a prescribed form or service of worship : rite

3

: something done for another : service

4

: a place where a business is carried on

ticket office

a dentist's office

5

: a large government department

Patent Office

Legal Definition

office

noun

of·​fice

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