- a room or set of rooms in which business, professional duties, clerical work, etc, are carried out
- (as modifier): office furniture, an office boy
- (often plural) the building or buildings in which the work of an organization, such as a business or government department, is carried out
- a commercial or professional business: the architect's office approved the plans
- the group of persons working in an office: it was a happy office until she came
- (capital when part of a name) (in Britain) a department of the national government: the Home Office
- (capital when part of a name)(in the US)
- a governmental agency, esp of the Federal government
- a subdivision of such an agency or of a department: Office of Science and Technology
- a position of trust, responsibility, or duty, esp in a government or organization: the office of president, to seek office
- (in combination): an office-holder
- duty or function: the office of an administrator
- (often plural) a minor task or service: domestic offices
- (often plural) an action performed for another, usually a beneficial action: through his good offices
- a place where tickets, information, etc, can be obtained: a ticket office
- (often plural) a ceremony or service, prescribed by ecclesiastical authorities, esp one for the dead
- the official daily service
short for divine office
- (plural) the parts of a house or estate where work is done, goods are stored, etc
- (usually plural) Brit euphemistic a lavatory (esp in the phrase usual offices)
- in office ⇒ (of a government) in power
- out of office ⇒ (of a government) out of power
- the office ⇒ slang a hint or signal
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
of•fice
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [countable] a place where business, work, or one's job is conducted or accomplished.
- a group of persons in a place where business is conducted:[countable]The whole office contributed.
- a business or professional organization:[countable]a law office.
- a position of duty, trust, or authority:[uncountable]the office of president.
- employment or position as an official: [uncountable]to seek political office.[countable]He had never held a political office before this one.
- Government a government agency, or a division of a government department:[countable;usually: Office;often: the + ~]the Foreign Office.
- Often, offices. [plural] something done for another:Through the good offices of a friend I was hired.
of•fice
(ô′fis, of′is),USA pronunciation n.
of′fice•less, adj.
- a room, set of rooms, or building where the business of a commercial or industrial organization or of a professional person is conducted:the main office of an insurance company; a doctor's office.
- a room assigned to a specific person or a group of persons in a commercial or industrial organization:Her office is next to mine.
- a business or professional organization:He went to work in an architect's office.
- the staff or designated part of a staff at a commercial or industrial organization:The whole office was at his wedding.
- a position of duty, trust, or authority, esp. in the government, a corporation, a society, or the like:She was elected twice to the office of president.
- employment or position as an official:to seek office.
- the duty, function, or part of a particular person or agency:to act in the office of adviser.
- Government(cap.) an operating agency or division of certain departments of the U.S. Government:Office of Community Services.
- Government, British Terms(cap.) [Brit.]a major administrative unit or department of the national government:the Foreign Office.
- Slang Termshint, signal, or warning;
high sign. - Often, offices. something, whether good or bad, done or said for or to another:He obtained a position through the offices of a friend.
- Religion[Eccles.]
- Religionthe prescribed order or form for a service of the church or for devotional use.
- Religionthe services so prescribed.
- ReligionAlso called divine office. the prayers, readings from Scripture, and psalms that must be recited every day by all who are in major orders.
- Religiona ceremony or rite, esp. for the dead.
- a service or task to be performed;
assignment;
chore:little domestic offices. - British Terms offices, [Chiefly Brit.]
- the parts of a house, as the kitchen, pantry, or laundry, devoted mainly to household work.
- the stables, barns, cowhouses, etc., of a farm.
- Slang Terms[Older Slang.]privy.
- Latin officium service, duty, ceremony, presumably contraction of opificium, equivalent. to opi-, combining form akin to opus opus + -fic-, combining form of facere to make, do1 + -ium -ium
- Old French
- Middle English 1200–50
- 5. post, station, berth, situation. See appointment. 7. responsibility, charge, trust. 13. work, duty.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
office /ˈɒfɪs/ n
'office' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
abbacy
- accede
- accept
- accession
- administration
- admiralty
- admission
- angary
- antiphonary
- apostolate
- archbishopric
- archidiaconal
- assay
- assume
- -ate
- ATO
- attribute
- backbencher
- back office
- ballot
- bauble
- be
- benefice
- BFPO
- bishopric
- blag
- blind trust
- BO
- b.o.
- boiler room
- box
- box office
- branch
- breviary
- brokerage
- bureau
- bureau de change
- cabin
- caliphate
- call
- call centre
- canonry
- cardinalate
- caretaker
- carpetbagger
- chair
- chancellery
- chancery
- chapel
- charwoman