Office

/ˈɒf.ɪs/ noun, verb, slang

noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: A ceremonial duty or service, particularly
  • Grammar: office is listed as noun, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: bureau, position, post, role.
  • Useful contrasts: classrooms, coffeehouse, crib.
  • Usage evidence: Why did you not go to the office?

How to use "office"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "office" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "office" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "office" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "office" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "office" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "bureau" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "office", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A ceremonial duty or service, particularly

    "Golde (gaue he him)[…]for all maner of veſſels of euery offyce[…]"

  2. 2
    a job in an organization wordnet
  3. 3
    A ceremonial duty or service; The authorized form of ceremonial worship of a church.
  4. 4
    the actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group wordnet
  5. 5
    A ceremonial duty or service; Any special liturgy, as the Office for the Dead or of the Virgin.
Show 34 more definitions
  1. 6
    a religious rite or service prescribed by ecclesiastical authorities wordnet
  2. 7
    A ceremonial duty or service; A daily service without the eucharist.
  3. 8
    place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed wordnet
  4. 9
    A ceremonial duty or service; The daily service of the breviary, the liturgy for each canonical hour, including psalms, collects, and lessons.

    "In the Latin rite, all bishops, priests, and transitional deacons are obliged to recite the Divine Office daily."

  5. 10
    an administrative unit of government wordnet
  6. 11
    A ceremonial duty or service; Various prayers used with modification as a morning or evening service.
  7. 12
    professional or clerical workers in an office wordnet
  8. 13
    A ceremonial duty or service; Last rites.

    "The deuout offices of balming and anointing the dead bodies[…]"

  9. 14
    (of a government or government official) holding an office means being in power wordnet
  10. 15
    A ceremonial duty or service; Mass, (particularly) the introit sung at its beginning. obsolete

    "The office, or Introite, (as they call it)."

  11. 16
    A position of responsibility.

    "When the office of Secretary of State is vacant, its duties fall upon an official within the department."

  12. 17
    Official position, particularly high employment within government; tenure in such a position.

    "She held office as secretary of state until she left office to run for office."

  13. 18
    A duty, particularly owing to one's position or station; a charge, trust, or role; (obsolete, rare) moral duty.

    "Ang.... Doe you your office, or giue vp your Place, And you shall well be spar'd."

  14. 19
    Function: anything typically done by or expected of something. archaic

    "In this experiment the several intervals of the teeth of the comb do the office of so many prisms."

  15. 20
    A service, a kindness. plural, regional

    "The secretary prevailed at the negotiations through the good offices of the Freedonian ambassador."

  16. 21
    Inside information. figuratively, slang

    "Giving the office—is when you suffer any person, who may stand behind your chair, to look over your hand."

  17. 22
    A room, set of rooms, or building used for non-manual work, particularly

    "The office of the Secretary of State is cleaned when it is vacant."

  18. 23
    A room, set of rooms, or building used for non-manual work; A room, set of rooms, or building used for administration and bookkeeping.

    "The “Pall Mall Gazette” had its offices[…]in Catherine Street[…]"

  19. 24
    A room, set of rooms, or building used for non-manual work; A room, set of rooms, or building used for selling services or tickets to the public.

    "There will be some of the family waiting for you at the coach-office."

  20. 25
    A room, set of rooms, or building used for non-manual work; A room, set of rooms, or building used for consultation and diagnosis, but not surgery or other major procedures. US

    "This one was made out at a private office—Office is American for Surgery."

  21. 26
    The staff of such places. figuratively

    "The whole office was there... well, except you, of course."

  22. 27
    The administrative departments housed in such places, particularly figuratively

    "He's from our public relations office."

  23. 28
    The administrative departments housed in such places; A ministry or other department of government. Australia, UK, capitalized, figuratively, usually

    "The secretary of state's British colleague heads the Foreign and Commonwealth Office."

  24. 29
    The administrative departments housed in such places; Short for Holy Office: the court of final appeal in cases of heresy. abbreviation, alt-of, capitalized, figuratively, usually

    "A Biscayner is capable to be a Cavalier of any of the three habits without any scrutiny to be made of the Office, whether he be, limpio de la sangre de los Moros, that is cleare of the bloud of the Moores or no."

  25. 30
    The administrative departments housed in such places; A particular place of business of a larger white-collar business. figuratively

    "He worked as the receptionist at the Akron office."

  26. 31
    The parts of a house or estate devoted to manual work and storage, as the kitchen, scullery, laundry, stables, etc., particularly (euphemistic, dated) a house or estate's facilities for urination and defecation: outhouses or lavatories. dated, in-plural

    "As for the Offices, let them stand at some Distance from the House, with some low covered Galleries, to pass from them to the Palace it self."

  27. 32
    Clipping of inquest of office UK, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, historical

    "If they find the treason or felony... of the party accused... the king is thereupon, by virtue of this office found, intitled to have his forfeitures."

  28. 33
    A piece of land used for hunting; the area of land overseen by a gamekeeper. obsolete

    "All hunt in James Whitendales office."

  29. 34
    A hangout: a place where one is normally found. figuratively, obsolete, slang

    "His Office, any Man's ordinary Haunt, or Plying-place, be it Tavern, Ale-house, Gaming-house."

  30. 35
    A plane's cockpit, particularly an observer's cockpit. UK, dated, slang

    "I withdraw into ‘the office’, otherwise the observer's cockpit."

  31. 36
    A collection of business software typically including a word processor and spreadsheet and slideshow programs.
  32. 37
    An official or group of officials; (figuratively) a personification of officeholders. obsolete

    "[…]For who would beare... The pangs of despiz'd loue, the lawes delay, The insolence of office... When he himselfe might his quietas make... With a bare bodkin?"

  33. 38
    A bodily function, (particularly) urination and defecation; an act of urination or defecation. obsolete

    "Cassio.... Whom I, with all the Office of my heart Intirely honour[…]"

  34. 39
    The performance of a duty; an instance of performing a duty. obsolete

    "[…]whan the Quene of riche Arabia sawe all the wyſzdome of Salomon[…]⁊ the offyces of his miniſters, and their garmentes[…]ſhe wondred exceadingly[…]"

Verb
  1. 1
    To provide (someone) with an office.

    "Is he officed in Congressional Relations or is he officed in SCA?"

  2. 2
    To have an office. intransitive

    ""I believed that Dave was just doing a favor for his brother," said Somerville, who added that he assumed Lou and Dave officed together."

Synonyms

All synonyms
bureaupositionpostroleability to cause changeact of grace

Example

"Why did you not go to the office?"

Common questions

What does "office" mean?

A ceremonial duty or service, particularly

What is a synonym for "office"?

Common synonyms include: bureau, position, post, role, ability to cause change, act of grace.

How do you use "office" in a sentence?

Why did you not go to the office?

How do you pronounce "office"?

Pronounced /ˈɒf.ɪs/.

Etymology

From Middle English office, from Old French office, from Latin officium (“personal, official, or moral duty; official position; function; ceremony, esp. last rites”), contracted from opificium (“construction: the act of building or the thing built”), from opifex (“doer of work, craftsman”) + -ium (“-y”, forming actions), from op- (“work”) + -i- (connective) + -fex (combining form of faciō (“to do, to make”)). The computing sense is a genericization of various proprietary program suites, such as Microsoft Office.

More for "office"

Synonyms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsBrowse writing guidesExplore topic clusters