OFFICE Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

office

noun

ˈä-fəs

Definition of office

as in department

a large unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization the company's main office is in Atlanta

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as in duty

something one must do because of prior agreement one of the chief offices of a friend is to be there in someone's hour of need

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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 Among Torrey’s art collection, photographer Wolfgang Tillmans is a favorite, appearing both in his home and at his offices. — Gay Gassmann, Architectural Digest, 19 Oct. 2026 The Georgia film office lists 22 active movies and TV shows in the state, on par with the volume over the past two years. — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 19 Oct. 2026 The same letter noted the list of names from the DOJ included voters from outside Los Angeles County, whom the office does not maintain any records on. — Miles Parks, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026 The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s office. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for office

Recent Examples of Synonyms for office

Noun

In January 2025, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch changed the department pursuit policy, barring cops from chasing after vehicles fleeing car stops unless a felony crime or a violent misdemeanor was committed.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
The high amount of overtime at the mental health department is related mainly to nurses working at the state’s mental health hospitals, Whiting and Connecticut Valley Hospital, which are both in Middletown.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of department

Noun

Donald is taking on a support role with BBC Studios alongside his day-to-day duties running his Cosmopolitan Pictures indie.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
At a news conference, Ali Daamoush accused the Lebanese state of failing to carry out its duties to help the displaced.

— Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of duty

Noun

Ronen Bar, former head of the agency commonly known as Shin Bet, demanded $965,000 in the suit filed Wednesday.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Darrell Alexander, who runs composer agency Cool Music, sees working as an additional composer as the best entry point for anyone starting out.

— Ben Croll, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of agency

Noun

No perpetrators have been publicly identified, and no claims of responsibility have been made public.

— JOHN LEICESTER, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
The carrier is expected to hold NATO command ship responsibilities until mid-2027, positioning it to lead a multinational naval force if activated during an international crisis.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of responsibility

Noun

There have been reports of internal strife at the London bureau at CBS News over the tone of its Middle East coverage since Bari Weiss, a strong supporter of Israel, took over as the network’s editor in chief last year.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Journalists from the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald, who work jointly in a shared bureau in Tallahassee, were pursuing those questions, too.

— Christopher Spata, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of bureau

Noun

Given that the United States keeps getting mired in errant conflicts, Congress urgently needs to reassert its constitutional obligation to approve acts of war and oversee retrenchment.

— Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
Council members discussed how to balance the nonprofit’s need for a long-term agreement to attract donors with the city’s need to ensure the building remains in use and the organization fulfills its obligations.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of obligation

Noun

The film explores the contradictions of a Bulgarian town pulled into Europe’s shifting geopolitical order, where arms production for Ukraine’s frontlines collides with enduring ties to Russia, personal convictions, and the everyday need to survive.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
The company recently introduced four-finger hands for Atlas, underscoring the need to design robotic hardware around practical requirements.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of need

Cite this Entry

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“Office.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/office. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of office

noun

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