04/01/2026
office (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/office)
Etymology
From Middle English office, from Old French office, from Latin officium, contracted from opificium ("construction: the act of building or the thing built"), from opifex ("doer of work, craftsman") + -ium ("-y"), from op- + -i- + -fex.
The computing sense is a genericization of various proprietary program suites, such as Microsoft Office.
Pronunciation
- (RP) IPA: /ˈɒf.ɪs/
- (America) IPA: /ˈɔ.fɪs/
- (cot-caught) IPA: /ˈɑ.fɪs/
Noun
office (plural offices)
1. (religion) A ceremonial duty or service, particularly:
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1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, I. Cronicles xxix, folio xc, verso, column 2:
Golde (gaue he him) […] for all maner of veſſels of euery offyce […]
- (Christianity) The authorized form of ceremonial worship of a church.
- (Christianity) Any special liturgy, as the Office for the Dead or of the Virgin.
- (Christianity) A daily service without the eucharist.
- (Catholicism) 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.
- (Protestant) Various prayers used with modification as a morning or evening service.
- (Christianity) Last rites.
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1582, The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ: […] (Douay–Rheims Bible), Rheims: Iohn Fogny, →OCLC, Iohn 12, marginalia, page 254:
The deuout offices of balming and anointing the dead bodies […]
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1618, S. Rowlands, Sacred Memorie, section 37:
To show their loue in this last office done
To a dead friend.
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1822 May 28, [Walter Scott], chapter XI, in The Fortunes of Nigel. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 318:
I […] will be first to render thee the decent offices due to the dead.
- (Christianity, obsolete) Mass, (particularly) the introit sung at its beginning.
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1549, “Svpper of the Lorde”, in The Book of Common Prayer, page 121:
The office, or Introite, (as they call it).
2. A position of responsibility.
Hypernyms: role , ;, rank
When the office of Secretary of State is vacant, its duties fall upon an official within the department.
Do not conflate the officeholder with the office; the distinction sometimes matters.
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1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Romans xj:[13], folio ccxj, verso:
[…] in as moche as I am the apoſtle off the gentyls I will magnify myn office […]
- 1787, United States Constitution, Article II, §1:
I do solemnly swear... that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."
3. Official position, particularly high employment within government; tenure in such a position.
Hypernyms: role , ;, rank
She held office as secretary of state until she left office to run for office.
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c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 82, column 2:
Fla. […] Well, would I were / Gently put out of Office, before I were forc'd out […]
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1923, Rose Macaulay, Told by an Idiot, act III, scene xv, line 227:
The Tories had been in office ten years.
4. A duty, particularly owing to one's position or station; a charge, trust, or role; (obsolete, rare) moral duty.
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c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], line 749:
Ang.... Doe you your office, or giue vp your Place,
And you shall well be spar'd.
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1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
The Sun was ſunk, and after him the Starr / Of Heſperus, whoſe Office is to bring / Twilight upon the Earth […]
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1749, Henry Fielding, “Containing five Pages of Paper”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume II, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book IV, page 6:
The Antients would certainly have invoked the Goddeſs Flora for this Purpoſe, and it would have been no Difficulty for their Prieſts or Politicians to have perſuaded the People of the real Preſence of the Deity, though a plain Mortal had perſonated her, and performed her Office.
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1811, [Jane Austen], chapter VIII, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume I, London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 87:
A woman […] might bring herself to submit to the offices of a nurse, for the sake of the provision and security of a wife.
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1813 January 26, [Jane Austen], chapter XII, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume II, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 145:
[…] there I readily engaged in the office of pointing out to my friend, the certain evils of such a choice.
5. (archaic) Function: anything typically done by or expected of something.
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1704, I[saac] N[ewton], “(please specify |book=1 to 3)”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Smith, and Benj[amin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC:
In this experiment the several intervals of the teeth of the comb do the office of so many prisms.
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1813 January 26, [Jane Austen], chapter VIII, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 76:
I hope you saw her petticoat, six inches deep in mud, […] and the gown which had been let down to hide it, not doing its office.
6. (now usually in plural) A service, a kindness.
The secretary prevailed at the negotiations through the good offices of the Freedonian ambassador.
- 1575, Elizabeth I, letter:
...which we have hitherto forborne to graunt... for the evell offices whiche her other Secretary did there.
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1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London& #58; […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], line 1089:
Bush. Thither will I with you, for little office
Will the hatefull commons perfourme for vs,
Except like curs to teare vs all to pieces...
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1749, Henry Fielding, “Which concludes the first Book, with an Instance of Ingratitude, which we hope will appear unnatural”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume I, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book I, page 75:
One of the Maxims which the Devil, in a late Viſit upon Earth, left to his Diſciples, is, when once you are got up, to kick the Stool from under you. In plain Engliſh, when you have made your Fortune by the good Offices of a Friend, you are adviſed to diſcard him as ſoon as you can.
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1811, [Jane Austen], chapter XIII, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume III, London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 263:
I […] am sure you will be too generous to do us any ill offices.
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1830, Joseph Smith, Doctrine and Covenants, 25:5:
And the office of thy calling shall be for a comfort unto my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun., thy husband, in his afflictions, with consoling words, in the spirit of meekness.
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1915, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter LXX, in Of Human Bo***ge, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, →OCLC, page 359:
[…] he got her slippers and took off her boots. It delighted him to perform menial offices.
7. (figuratively, slang) Inside information.
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1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Where Silas Linden Comes into His Own”, in The Land of Mist, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, published 1926, →OCLC, [… What is there for me in it?" "Not a shilling." "What? Wasn't it I that gave the information? Where would you have been if I had not given you the office?"/mode/1up page " […] What is there for me in it?" "Not a shilling." "What? Wasn't it I that gave the information? Where would you have been if I had not given you the office?"]:
8. 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.
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1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Chronicles 24:11, column 1:
Now it came to paſſe that at what time the chest was brought vnto the kings office, by the hand of the Leuites […]
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1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 15:
We drove back to the office with some concern on my part at the prospect of so large a case.
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[1945, H. L. Mencken, The American Language, supplement 1, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, →OCLC, page 503:
An English lawyer, whether barrister or solicitor, never has an office, but always chambers.]
- A room, set of rooms, or building used for administration and bookkeeping.
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1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, “The Pall Mall Gazette”, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume I, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849, →OCLC, page 347:
The “Pall Mall Gazette” had its offices […] in Catherine Street […]
- A room, set of rooms, or building used for selling services or tickets to the public.
- 1819 September 22, John Keats, letter to Reynolds:
There will be some of the family waiting for you at the coach-office.
- (chiefly, US, medical) A room, set of rooms, or building used for consultation and diagnosis, but not surgery or other major procedures.
9. (figuratively) The staff of such places.
The whole office was there... well, except you, of course.
10. (figuratively, in large organizations) The administrative departments housed in such places, particularly:
He's from our public relations office.
- (UK, AU, usually capitalized, with clarifying modifier) A ministry or other department of government.
The secretary of state's British colleague heads the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
- (Catholicism, usually capitalized) Short for Holy Office: the court of final appeal in cases of heresy.
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1658, Pilgrim's Book, page 3:
They abiured their Heresy bublikly [sic] before the Commissary of the holy office.
- A particular place of business of a larger white-collar business.
He worked as the receptionist at the Akron office.
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1732, Benjamin Franklin, Proposals & Queries to be Asked the Junto:
Would not an Office of Insurance for Servants be of Service, and what Methods are proper for the erecting such an Office& #63;
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1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter XVII, in Emma: […], volume II, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC, page 324:
[…] there are advertising offices, and […] by applying to them I should have no doubt of very soon meeting with something that would do.
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1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, chapter XII, in Great Expectations […], volume II, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published October 1861, →OCLC, page 204:
[…] a large Danish sun or star hanging round his neck by a blue ribbon […] had given him the appearance of being insured in some extraordinary Fire Office.
11. (now in the plural, dated) The parts of a house or estate devoted to manual work and storage, as the kitchen, scullery, laundry, stables, etc., particularly (euphemism, dated) a house or estate's facilities for urination and defecation: outhouses or lavatories.
- 1720, William Willymott translating Francis Bacon as "Of Building" in Lord Bacons Essays, Vol. I, page 283:
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.
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1727, The Grand Mystery:
.. proposals for erecting 500 Publick Offices of Ease in London and Westminster...
12. (UK law, historical) Clipping of inquest of office:
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1977, John McDonald Burke, Jowitt's Dictionary of English Law, volume I, page 280:
If the Crown claimed the land of an idiot, the person had first to be found an idiot by office.
13. (obsolete) A piece of land used for hunting; the area of land overseen by a gamekeeper.
14. (figuratively, slang, obsolete) A hangout: a place where one is normally found.
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1699, A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew:
His Office, any Man's ordinary Haunt, or Plying-place, be it Tavern, Ale-house, Gaming-house.
15. (UK military slang, dated) A plane's cockpit, particularly an observer's cockpit.
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1917, Alan Bott, An Airman's Outings, page 161:
I withdraw into ‘the office’, otherwise the observer's cockpit.
16. (computing) A collection of business software typically including a word processor and spreadsheet and slideshow programs.
17. (obsolete) An official or group of officials; (figuratively) a personification of officeholders.
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c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
[…] 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?
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(Can we date this quote?), Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “A Very Woman”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act III, scene ii:
Ped. Now Mr. Office:
What is the Reason that your vigilant Greatness
And your Wife's wonderful wiseness have lock'd up from me
The way to see my Mistress? Who's Dog's dead now,
That you observe these Vigils?
18. (obsolete) A bodily function, (particularly) urination and defecation; an act of urination or defecation.
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c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]:
Cassio.... Whom I, with all the Office of my heart
Intirely honour […]
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1613, Samuel Purchas, Purchas, His Pilgrimage, page 623:
Washing themselves, as they doe also after the offices of Nature.
- 1764 August 5, David Garrick, letter:
I never, since I left England, till now, have regal'd Myself with a good house of Office... the holes in Germany are... too round, chiefly owing... to the broader bottoms of the Germans.
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1823 August 28, [Lord Byron], Don Juan. Cantos IX.—X.—and XI., London: […] [C. H. Reynell] for John Hunt, […], →OCLC, canto XI, stanza XL, page 123:
The very clerks,—those somewhat dirty springs / Of office, or the House of Office […]
19. (obsolete) The performance of a duty; an instance of performing a duty.
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1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, III. Kynges [1 Kings] x:[4–5], folio lviij, recto, column 2:
[…] whan the Quene of riche Arabia sawe all the wyſzdome of Salomon […] ⁊ the offyces of his miniſters, and their garmentes […] ſhe wondred exceadingly […]
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1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC, page 41:
At Rome (nor think me partial to the Poor) / All Offices of ours are out of Door […]
Synonyms
- (religious ritual) service, divine service, religious service, liturgy
- (Catholic ritual) Divine Office, breviary, Liturgy of the Hours, liturgy of the hours, canonical hours
- (position of responsibility) See Thesaurus:office
- (place of work) workplace, workstead, practice
- (doctor's office) surgery (UK)
- (major governmental division) department, ministry, bureau
- (facilities for urination and defecation) See Thesaurus:bathroom
Related terms
- officeholder
- officer
- official
- officiate
Translations (ceremonial religious duty or rite)
- French: office
- German: Dienst, Amt
- Italian: ufficio, uffizio
- Portuguese: ofício
- Russian: слу́жба
- Spanish: oficio
Translations (position of responsibility)
- German: Amt
- Portuguese: cargo, ofício
- Russian: до́лжность
Translations (room(s) or building used for non-manual work)
- French: bureau, office
- German: Büro, Kontor, Amt (e.g. government)
- Italian: ufficio
- Portuguese: escritório
- Russian: о́фис
- Spanish: oficina, sede, despacho
Translations (major governmental division)
- French: bureau
- German: Amt
- Portuguese: escritório
- Russian: ве́домство
- Spanish: oficina
Verb
office (offices, present participle officing; simple past and past participle officed)
1. To provide (someone) with an office.
2. (intransitive) To have an office.
This text is extracted from the Wiktionary and it is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license
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Text generated by the application English Dictionary https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=livio.pack.lang.en_US
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”),[1] from opifex (“doer of work, craftsma...
