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central office

central office

7 3.5
Main office where leaders of a company or organization work and make decisions
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛntrəl ˈɔfɪs/
translation icon : oficina central
  • The point also relates to the monitoring of the curriculum by central office personnel.
  • central office personnel
  • central office administrator
  • central office staff

Examples

  • Individual schools within the district developed their own strategies for implementation with support from the central office as necessary.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Shared decision-making means that principals and central office officials relinquish power and authority that is generally reserved for them.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Now we're getting calls from the central office.

  • And he runs the central office of the Western Union.

  • I really think someone in the central office wanted to give you something special on your first night out.

  • The responsibility is shifted from the central office to the local school principal.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Drivers report to a central office through onboard computers.

    Academic text (2007)
  • I was the first female and first minority hired for a central office administrative position in that district.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Critics contend that magnet schools' successes are the result of getting better students and more central office support.

    Academic text (1992)
  • The meeting will be held at the district's central office, 250 Howard St.

Synonyms

center
vscentral office
  • US
1.0

A place where people go for a service or activity

refers specifically to the administrative hub rather than any activity place
headquarters
vscentral office
407 3.0

The main office where a company or group makes important decisions

focuses more narrowly on administrative management than on overall operations
home office
vscentral office
  • Formal
20 3.0

A main office where a company's leaders work and make decisions

is the same role but described specifically as the central administrative hub
home base
vscentral office
14 3.4

The main office where a company or group does its work

is specifically the central administrative hub rather than a general base
main office
vscentral office
12 1.5

A central building where managers run an organization

is the same idea but emphasises acting as the central administrative hub

Antonyms

20 7.4

A person who follows and supports a more powerful leader

How Central

central office
7 3.5
main office
12 1.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

central + office

The meaning 'main administrative center' is directly and compositionally derived from 'central' (primary, hub) + 'office' (workplace). This adjective+noun pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows standard English composition, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the phrase.

Etymology

Central office comes from a simple image: one central building that is the main office where managers keep records and make the big decisions while all the regional branches connect to it. That's why it means 'the main office' that runs an organization.