Headquarters: meaning, definitions and examples

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headquarters

 

[ หˆhษ›dหŒkwษ”rtษ™rz ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

business

The main office or center of operations for a company or organization.

Synonyms

central office, head office, main office.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
headquarters

Generally refers to the main control center of an organization or operation, often used in military, corporate, or governmental contexts.

  • The company's headquarters is located in New York City.
  • The military headquarters issued new orders to the troops.
main office

Describes the primary office of an organization, which is often the largest and most important office where major decisions are made.

  • All employee files are stored at the main office.
  • The main office is responsible for approving all new projects.
central office

Used to describe the main administrative center of an organization or institution, especially in educational, governmental, or large corporate contexts.

  • The central office handles all the administrative work for the school district.
  • All requests should be directed to the central office for processing.
head office

Refers to the main office of a company where the top management and key administrative functions are located. Commonly used in British English.

  • You need to contact the head office for a refund.
  • The head office is planning a major restructuring.

Examples of usage

  • The company's headquarters is located in New York City.
  • All major decisions are made at the headquarters.
  • He works at the headquarters of a multinational corporation.
Context #2 | Noun

military

The location where the commanding officers of a military organization are based.

Synonyms

base of operations, command center.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
headquarters

This term is often used in formal or business settings to describe the main office or the primary location of an organization. It is commonly used for both corporate and military contexts.

  • The company's headquarters is located in New York City.
  • The army's headquarters established their strategy plans.
command center

This term is frequently used to describe a central location from which operations are directed and coordinated, especially in military or emergency response situations.

  • The firefighters communicated with the command center during the rescue operation.
  • The command center tracked all troop movements on the battlefield.
base of operations

This phrase is typically used in contexts where the primary location serves as a central hub for various activities, often in military, exploratory, or large-scale project scenarios.

  • The explorers set up their base of operations near the river.
  • During the mission, the base of operations was concealed in the forest.

Examples of usage

  • The general's headquarters were well fortified.
  • The attack was directed from the enemy's headquarters.
  • The headquarters of the battalion was set up in a secure area.

Translations

Translations of the word "headquarters" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น sede

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคฎเฅเค–เฅเคฏเคพเคฒเคฏ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Hauptquartier

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ markas

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ัˆั‚ะฐะฑ-ะบะฒะฐั€ั‚ะธั€ะฐ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ siedziba gล‚รณwna

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ๆœฌ้ƒจ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท siรจge

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ sede

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท merkez

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋ณธ๋ถ€

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุงู„ู…ู‚ุฑ ุงู„ุฑุฆูŠุณูŠ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ รบstล™edรญ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ รบstredie

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๆ€ป้ƒจ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ sedeลพ

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ hรถfuรฐstรถรฐvar

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ัˆั‚ะฐะฑ-ะฟำ™ั‚ะตั€

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒจแƒขแƒแƒ‘แƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ baลŸ qษ™rargah

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ sede

Etymology

The word 'headquarters' originated in the late 17th century, combining 'head' and 'quarters'. It was initially used in a military context to refer to the location where the head of a military unit was stationed. Over time, the term expanded to also include the main office or central base of operations for businesses and organizations.

See also: beheader, head, headache, headband, headbands, header, headgear, headhunter, heading, headland, headline, headman, headmaster, headmistress, headpiece, headrest, headscarf, headset, headshot, headsman, headstall, headstrong, headwear, headwind, headwrap, hothead, overhead.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #3,744, this word is part of upper-intermediate vocabulary. While not among the most basic terms, it appears often enough to be valuable for advanced communication.