office

noun

of·​fice ˈä-fəs How to pronounce office (audio)
ˈȯ-
Synonyms of officenext
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

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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 Box office action The Premier League is often billed as ‘the best league in the world’ and the string of 4-3 results this season only adds further grist to that particular mill. —Ben Morse, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024 The chief disagreement, on the county board with a 13-6 majority of Democrats, is Coulter's unprecedented wish to revive downtown Pontiac by buying the antiquated office buildings tied to the crumbling Phoenix Center parking deck, Spisz said. —Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 5 Apr. 2024 Almeida will also be based in RA’s London office following six years as a top editor of Crack Magazine out of Berlin. —Marc Schneider, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024 In this case, a client who took her dog to work every day wanted to deduct the cost of doggy treats and toys that were kept for it at the office. —Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024 An estimated 371 of the 614 Apple layoffs in Santa Clara were slated to occur at a company office building at 3689 Kifer Road in Santa Clara. —George Avalos, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024 Public office: Asking for predictions on a candidate’s chance of winning an election. —Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024 The question of immunity will be argued before the Supreme Court in late April; federal prosecutors have challenged Trump's claim to total legal protection for actions while in office, including his push to overturn the 2020 election results. —Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 24 Mar. 2024 Local media reported that the 12-year-old is facing charges, although that information has not been confirmed by the sheriff's office. —Landon Mion, Fox News, 24 Mar. 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

Phrases Containing office

Dictionary Entries Near office

off-hour

office

office-bearer

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Office.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/office. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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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

Nglish: Translation of office for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of office for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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