office
/ˈɒf.ɪs/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈɔfɪs] /ˈɑː.fɪs/ (ame, ipa) · [ˈɔfɪs] /ˈä-fəs ˈȯ-/ (ame, mw)
office — noun
- officesingular
- officesplural
1. a room, or sometimes a whole building, where staff sit at desks and use computer
a room, or sometimes a whole building, where staff sit at desks and use computers, phones, and printers to do paperwork or business tasks for a company.
Maya shares a small office on the third floor with two other designers.
share + an office (room sense)
Marcus left the office at six o'clock and walked straight to the train station.
leave/arrive at the office
Our new office has standing desks, a quiet phone booth, and a small kitchen.
The lawyers stayed in the office until midnight to finish the contract.
There were paper boxes all over the office on the day of the move.
文法句型
the office
in/at the office
用法筆記
Often used with 'the' even when the speaker has not mentioned a specific office, because it is understood to mean the speaker's own workplace ('I'm at the office').
常見錯誤
2. one branch or section of a larger business, often named after the city or region
one branch or section of a larger business, often named after the city or region it serves and reporting to a central headquarters.
The Taipei office handles every customer in East Asia and reports to London twice a month.
the [city] office
Our Berlin office has only twelve staff, but it brings in half of the company's profit.
After the merger, three regional offices were closed and the staff moved to head office.
Lina was promoted to manager of the Singapore office last spring.
Please send the contract to our New York office by Friday morning.
- branch
very close synonym, especially for banks and shops
- bureau
more common for news agencies and government bodies
- headquarters
the main controlling office, never a small one
文法句型
the [city] office
head/branch office
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names a sub-unit of a company (Taipei office, head office), while sense 1 names a physical room you sit in. Common collocates are 'head', 'branch', 'regional', and city names.
常見錯誤
3. the place in which a doctor, a dentist, or an animal doctor receives patients fo
the place in which a doctor, a dentist, or an animal doctor receives patients for check-ups, advice, or treatment; British speakers usually call this a 'surgery' or 'practice'.
Dr. Tanaka's office is open from nine to five and closed on Wednesdays.
[Dr. X]'s office
Carlos took his daughter to the dentist's office for a check-up last Monday.
the dentist's office
The vet's office smelled of clean towels, soap, and a little bit of dog.
Please call the doctor's office before you arrive so the nurse can prepare your file.
文法句型
the doctor's/dentist's office
用法筆記
Mainly American English. British speakers normally say 'the doctor's surgery' or 'the GP's practice', and 'the dentist' (not 'the dentist's office') is enough on its own.
常見錯誤
4. an important job in a government, party, or large body, with the power and duty
an important job in a government, party, or large body, with the power and duty that come with it — for example, the role of mayor, minister, or company president.
Mayor Lin took office in January after winning a very close election.
take office (begin a role)
The president has held office for nearly two terms and will step down in May.
hold office (be in a role)
Maria Chen was the first woman to be elected to the office of attorney general in this state.
Once a senator leaves office, she is not allowed to lobby for two full years.
While in office, the prime minister cut taxes for small family businesses.
文法句型
hold/take/leave office
in office
office of [title]
用法筆記
Use 'office' (no article) in the fixed phrases 'take/hold/leave office' and 'in office'. With 'the office of …' (the office of mayor), the article is required because it names a specific post.
常見錯誤
5. a named branch of national or city government that handles one area of public wo
a named branch of national or city government that handles one area of public work, such as foreign affairs, taxes, or patents; often written with a capital letter as part of its title.
The Foreign Office issued a travel warning for citizens flying to the region this summer.
the [Name] Office
Britain's Home Office decides who is allowed to enter the country and stay long-term.
Home Office (UK department)
Carlos sent the inventor's papers to the Patent Office on Tuesday morning.
The Office of the Mayor has hired ten new staff to deal with housing complaints.
The Tax Office sent Lina a letter saying she had paid too much last year.
- department
general word for any government unit; American English prefers this
- ministry
common in many countries (but not the UK or US) for the same idea
- agency
often a smaller or more specialised body
文法句型
the [Name] Office
Office of [Topic]
用法筆記
Most often a Capitalised proper noun forming the name of a department (the Home Office, the Patent Office, the Tax Office). Distinguish from sense 4: this is the body itself; sense 4 is the personal post a single official holds.