office

noun

of·​fice ˈä-fəs How to pronounce office (audio)
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
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 The man was later identified as Johnathan Barber, 43, according to the sheriff's office. Remington Miller, arkansasonline.com, 12 Mar. 2024 But similar attempts by the J. Geils Band and Blondie to do the same were relative disappoints at the box office, and both of those groups were significantly more popular than the Raspberries. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2024 Its 22-person staff works out of a downtown office building because its previous space at the Smithsonian Castle, headquarters of the cultural institution, is being renovated. Manuel Roig-Franzia, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Trump’s near-constant rallies and campaign speeches amid the primary season have overwhelmingly garnered media attention for his remarks on immigration, the economy, mocking President Biden and his performance in office, and even his remarks on NATO. Emma Colton, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2024 Drivers recently received a payout from the largest wage-theft settlement in the history of the NYC office (worth $328 million). Chloe Berger, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 In March, Putin is running for a fifth term in office but the election will, in reality, be a de facto coronation. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 Today's top stories The Supreme Court will hear arguments in April over whether former President Donald Trump is immune from prosecution for actions taken while in office. Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 The case has already been submitted to the City of Goodyear Prosecutor's Office. Alexandra Hardle, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'office.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of office was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near office

Cite this Entry

“Office.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/office. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

office

noun
of·​fice ˈäf-əs How to pronounce office (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on office

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