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
3
: a religious or social ceremonial observance : rite
4
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
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
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
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
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
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
In late May, the FBI searched Owens’ office at the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office under a warrant.
—Bracey Harris, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Though even back in August, an agent told The Real Deal that ahead of expectations of lower commissions, half of the brokers in his office had quit.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
Our real estate data comes from public records that have been registered and digitized by local county offices.
—Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
Under Biden, the agency is on track to log some 47,000 acres of public lands, nearly the same amount as during President Donald Trump’s first term in office.
—April Ehrlich, ProPublica, 12 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for office 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Bracey Harris, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Though even back in August, an agent told The Real Deal that ahead of expectations of lower commissions, half of the brokers in his office had quit.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
Our real estate data comes from public records that have been registered and digitized by local county offices.
—Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
Under Biden, the agency is on track to log some 47,000 acres of public lands, nearly the same amount as during President Donald Trump’s first term in office.
—April Ehrlich, ProPublica, 12 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for office
Dictionary Entries Near office
Cite this Entry
“Office.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/office. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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