office

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a religious rite or service prescribed by ecclesiastical authorities

   the offices of the mass

2. 2
   noun

   place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

   I rented an office in the new building.

3. 3
   noun

   professional or clerical workers in an office

   the whole office was late the morning of the blizzard

4. 4
   noun

   (of a government or government official) holding an office means being in power

   being in office already gives a candidate a great advantage

5. 5
   noun

   A ceremonial duty or service, particularly

   Golde (gaue he him)[…]for all maner of veſſels of euery offyce[…]

6. 6
   noun

   A position of responsibility.

   When the office of Secretary of State is vacant, its duties fall upon an official within the department.

7. 7
   noun

   Official position, particularly high employment within government; tenure in such a position.

   She held office as secretary of state until she left office to run for office.

8. 8
   noun

   A duty, particularly owing to one's position or station; a charge, trust, or role; (obsolete, rare) moral duty.

   Ang.... Doe you your office, or giue vp your Place, And you shall well be spar'd.

Etymology

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”), from opifex (“doer of work, craftsman”) + -ium (“-y”, forming actions), from op- (“work”) + -i- (connective) + -fex (combining form of faciō (“to do, to make”)). The computing sense is a genericization of various proprietary program suites, such as Microsoft Office.