office
office
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "office" is /ˈɒfɪs/.
ɒf: /ɒf/ (like the "off" in "off")
ɪs: /ɪs/ (like the "is" in "is")
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: office
Plural Noun: offices
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A room, set of rooms, or building where the business, professional, or clerical duties of a person or organization are carried out.
Synonyms: workplace, cubicle, study, bureau, agency, firm
Antonyms: home (in the context of not being a place of work), outdoors (if referring to work done exclusively outside an enclosed space)
Definition 2: A position of authority or trust, especially a public one.
Synonyms: post, position, role, duty, appointment, incumbency
Antonyms: unemployment, private citizen (when referring to not holding a public office)
Definition 3: A service or function performed for another; a duty or role.
Synonyms: duty, function, role, responsibility, service, task
Antonyms: dereliction, neglect, idleness
Definition 4 (often capitalized, as in "Holy Office"): A particular department of a government or organization, especially one responsible for a specific area of activity.
Synonyms: department, bureau, division, agency, branch
Antonyms: (Context-dependent; no direct antonyms for this specific usage)
Examples of Use
Books: "He spent long hours in his office, poring over legal documents, his desk often buried under stacks of files." (From a work of fiction depicting a lawyer's life)
Newspapers: "The mayor's office announced a new initiative to address urban housing shortages, with plans for affordable apartment complexes in several neighborhoods." (The New York Times)
Online Publications: "Hybrid work models are redefining the traditional concept of the office, with many companies offering employees the flexibility to work from home or a shared workspace." (Forbes.com)
Television/Film: In the TV show The Office, the setting is a paper company's regional sales office, focusing on the comedic interactions of its employees.
Music: A song might include a lyric like, "Clocking out of the office, another day done, heading home to you." (Generic song lyric)
Podcasts: "Our guest today served in a high-ranking office within the previous administration, providing unique insights into national policy-making." (From a political commentary podcast)
Social Media: A post on LinkedIn might read, "Excited to move into our new, larger office space next month! More room for collaboration and growth." (LinkedIn post)
General Public Discourse: "I'm heading to the office early tomorrow to finish up that report." (Common casual conversation)
Government/Official Documents: "The Department of Justice confirmed that the investigation is being handled by the Office of Public Affairs."
10 Quotes Using Office
"When you are in public office, we have to be sure that you are an honest man." (Nelson Mandela)
"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand." (Vince Lombardi, though often attributed to his approach to the "office" of coaching)
"I have no private purpose to accomplish, no party office to gain, no public office to lose." (Andrew Johnson)
"The presidency is not an office that can be learned on the job." (Richard Nixon)
"A man's private life is his own. His public life is subject to public scrutiny, and if he seeks public office, then it is right that he should be scrutinized." (Margaret Thatcher)
"When you're in public office, you have a responsibility to be truthful." (Kamala Harris)
"I'm a great believer that if you're going to hold public office, you have to be able to talk to people." (George W. Bush)
"No one is fit to hold public office who has not had a private life that will bear the closest scrutiny." (Theodore Roosevelt)
"The first duty of government is to protect the people, not to run the country's economy from a central office." (Milton Friedman)
"The pen is mightier than the sword, but the office is mightier than the pen." (Attributed to various sources, often humorous takes on bureaucracy)
Etymology
The word "office" has a rich history, tracing its roots back to Latin. It comes from the Latin word "officium."
Initially, officium didn't mean a physical place at all. It referred more to a duty, service, or an official position—like the job a magistrate or public servant would perform. It's essentially about "doing work" or "performing a service." The Latin root itself combines elements meaning "power" or "work" with "to do" or "to make."
The English word "office" first appeared in the Middle English period (around the 13th century). Its earliest known meaning in English was similar to the Latin, referring to a post in government or administration, or an employment with specific duties attached to it. For example, one might refer to "the office of the king" or "the office of a priest," meaning their responsibilities and position.
It wasn't until the late 14th century that the meaning of "office" started to shift to include a physical building or room where business is conducted. The famous writer Geoffrey Chaucer is credited with one of the earliest uses of "office" in this sense, referring to a place of work in The Canterbury Tales (1395).
So, in short, "office" started out meaning a duty or a formal position, and over time, it evolved to also mean the place where those duties are carried out.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Office
Behind the office door: Implies something that happens privately within the confines of an office, often hinting at secrecy or sensitive matters.
Take office: To formally assume a position of authority, especially in politics.
Hold office: To be in a position of authority or a public role.
Run for office: To campaign as a candidate in an election for a public position.
Office politics: The informal, sometimes Machiavellian, ways that power is gained and exercised in a workplace.
Office hours: The specific times when someone (like a professor or doctor) is available in their office for meetings or consultations.
In office: Referring to a person or party currently holding a position of power.
Office drone: A somewhat derogatory term for someone who works in an office and performs repetitive or uninspiring tasks.
Office pool: A collection of money contributed by office workers for a common purpose, often for betting on sports or lotteries.
Office romance: A romantic relationship that develops between two people who work in the same office.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of office from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
