office

Synonym Chooser

How is the word office distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of office are duty, function, and province. While all these words mean "the acts or operations expected of a person or thing," office is typically applied to the function or service associated with a trade or profession or a special relationship to others.

they exercise the offices of the judge, the priest, the counsellor — W. E. Gladstone

In what contexts can duty take the place of office?

While the synonyms duty and office are close in meaning, duty applies to a task or responsibility imposed by one's occupation, rank, status, or calling.

it is the judicial duty of the court, to examine the whole case — R. B. Taney

When is it sensible to use function instead of office?

While in some cases nearly identical to office, function implies a definite end or purpose or a particular kind of work.

the function of language is two-fold: to communicate emotion and to give information — Aldous Huxley

When could province be used to replace office?

The meanings of province and office largely overlap; however, province applies to a function, office, or duty that naturally or logically falls to one.

I felt it was not my province to inquire — Anne Brontë

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of office The Washington Examiner reached out to Siebert’s office, the Department of Justice, and the White House, but did not receive a response. Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 20 Sep. 2025 Olivier Rousteing‘s office high atop Balmain headquarters is rich in windows — offering lovely breezes and panoramic views of Paris rooftops — but rather poor on wall space for hanging pictures. Miles Socha, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2025 The press offices for the bureau and the White House did not immediately respond to NPR's requests for comment. Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025 Alex Pron founded Crossover Capital to help entrepreneurs, RIAs and family offices develop a responsible plan to approach digital assets. Alex Pron, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for office
Recent Examples of Synonyms for office
Noun
  • But in August, Putin signed a decree abolishing two presidential departments Kozak supervised, likely in preparation for his departure, the ISW said.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Relief pitching might be among the more volatile areas if not the department offering the most volatility.
    Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Washington and Beijing then reached a deal to reduce levies, which expires in November, with the United States imposing 30 percent duties on imports of Chinese goods and China hitting US products with a 10 percent tariff.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Despite the increase in customs activity related to duties collection at the port, operations have gone smoothly, according to the director.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Nor does the executive order bar any federal agency from continuing to offer its services, websites, and materials in Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, or hundreds of other languages spoken across the country.
    Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The partial closure order was coordinated with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, along with multiple local, state, and federal agency cooperators, to identify the minimum area necessary for the safety of firefighting resources and forest visitors.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The Police Department is not charged with the same responsibilities as federal law enforcement, Williams said.
    NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2025
  • On a Cover 3 call, Malik Hooker comes underneath rather than taking Robinson down the field like his responsibility calls for.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But some are concerned the street crime focus could draw attention from the sophisticated public corruption and national security threats for which the bureau has long been primarily, if not solely, responsible for investigating.
    Eric Tucker, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Hamas, the report said, even controls hiring at the network’s Gaza bureau.
    Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Similar American drone sales to the UAE and Qatar will likely proceed once Washington reinterprets its obligations under that 1987 treaty, and will probably exceed the number China has sold to the region to date.
    Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Live records could also be a way of fulfilling a contractual obligation (too many examples to cite) or a way to mollify fans who were going to have to wait a while for another studio record (Fleetwood Mac’s 1980’s concert record, which bridged the gap between Tusk and Mirage).
    David Browne, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But for Warren Buffett, whose investing horizon stretches far beyond the trading desks of Wall Street, the question of interest rates plays a different role entirely.
    Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Near the check-in desk, old photographs of the place line the hallway.
    Degen Pener, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The Global South's innovation ecosystem shows us that technology can emerge from and serve local needs.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Given City’s soft centre has come from a failure to cope with counter-attacks and a lack of pace to defend in a high line, Khusanov may just be the blunt force antidote Guardiola needs.
    Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Office.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/office. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

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