office
gb/ˈɔfɪs/ us/ˈɔfɪs/
A1
English
~ 400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Place where people work indoors
A room or rooms where people work for a company or group.
Usage pattern:
[someone] works in an office
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'office' with 'company'. 'Office' is the physical place, while 'company' is the organization.
Synonyms
workplace (General term for any place where people work, not only indoors.)
|
bureau (Used especially in government contexts; more formal.)
Antonyms
field (Refers to working outdoors rather than inside an office.)
Collocations
open-plan office
|home office
|office building
|office space
|office worker
Themes
business
|daily life
|work
|housing
Examples
- She works in an office downtown.
- The new office has large windows and modern furniture.
- Please leave the documents on my office desk.
- Many companies now allow employees to have a home office.
- The office closes at 6 p.m. every day.
Learner examples
- I work in an office.
- My office is near the train station.
- He is at the office now.
- The office is small but bright.
Noun
B1
entity
2
Position of authority or duty
An important job or role in a group, especially in government.
Usage pattern:
hold [an] office
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'office' here with the physical place; this sense refers to the role, not the location.
Synonyms
post (Neutral; often used for jobs or positions in organizations.)
|
position (General term for a role or job.)
Antonyms
unemployment (State of not having a job or position.)
Collocations
hold office
|seek office
|public office
|term of office
Themes
politics
|business
|work
Examples
- He was elected to the highest office in the land.
- She has held public office for over ten years.
- The mayor's term of office ends next year.
- He resigned from office after the scandal.
Learner examples
- She wants to win public office.
- He will leave office in June.
- He was in office for two years.
Noun
A2
entity
3
Department providing a service
A part of a company or government that does one type of work.
Usage pattern:
[the] [type] office
Synonyms
department (More general term for a division within an organization.)
|
agency (Often used for government bodies with specific functions.)
Collocations
tourist office
|post office
|tax office
Themes
business
|government
|politics
|work
Examples
- You can get the forms from the tax office.
- The tourist office gives free maps to visitors.
- She works at the regional education office.
Learner examples
- I went to the post office.
- The tourist office is near the station.
- He called the tax office for help.
Grammar
Dictionary form
office
IPA
GB/ˈɔfɪs/
US/ˈɔfɪs/
Syllables & stress
of - fice (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (of)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: office
- Plural: office, offices
Word family
Forms
offices
noun
Related words
officially
adverb B2
Negative and opposite forms
unofficial
adjective B2
unofficially
adverb
Advanced or less common
officiate
verb
Expressions
hold office
1/hˈoʊld ˈɔfɪs/
fixed phrase
Be in an official position
To have an important job in government or another group.
Examples
- She will hold office until the end of her term.
- Several presidents have held this office before him.
in office
1/ˈɪn ˈɔfɪs/
fixed phrase
Currently holding a position of authority
To be doing your job as an elected leader or official now.
Examples
- The president has been in office for two years.
- While she was in office, several reforms were made.
run for office
1/ɹˈʌn fɚ ˈɔfɪs/
fixed phrase
Try to get elected to a position
To try to get an important job by being chosen in an election.
Examples
- He decided to run for office after years of community service.
- She decided to run for office after years of community service.
- He decided to run for office in the next election.
- She decided to run for office in the next election.
- She plans to run for office next year.
- Many young people are now running for office.
- He ran for office but lost in the final vote.
- She ran for office but lost by a small margin.
- He’s running for mayor this year.
- Many young people are encouraged to run for office.