headquarters

headquarters — noun

1. the building or set of buildings where the most important managers and leaders o

1.nounB1
Definition

the building or set of buildings where the most important managers and leaders of an organization work and make decisions

Example

The company's headquarters are in São Paulo, with offices in twelve other countries.

plural verb after headquarters (British English)

Asher received an email from headquarters asking for the monthly sales figures.

from headquarters (no article, uncountable usage)

Common collocations
  • company headquarters
  • corporate headquarters
  • military headquarters
  • police headquarters
  • campaign headquarters
  • at headquarters
  • from headquarters
  • headquarters staff
  • headquarters building
Synonyms
  • head office

    Common in British English, especially for banks and large companies; slightly less formal than 'headquarters'

  • HQ

    Abbreviation of 'headquarters'; very common in both spoken and written English, especially informal or in headlines

  • main office

    A more general term; can also refer to the largest office of a smaller organization, not necessarily the global center

  • central office

    Often used for government agencies or large institutions; emphasizes the coordinating role

Antonyms
  • branch office

    A smaller local office that reports to the headquarters

  • regional office

    An office that covers a specific geographic area, below headquarters in the organizational structure

Grammar Patterns

headquarters + singular/plural verb

at / from / to headquarters

the + organization + headquarters

Usage Note

Headquarters looks like a plural noun (it ends in -s) but can be treated as either singular or plural. In American English it usually takes a singular verb (e.g. 'headquarters is'), while British English often uses a plural verb (e.g. 'headquarters are'). When the focus is on the organization's leaders rather than the building, a plural verb is more common in both varieties.

Common Mistakes

The headquarter of the company is in Taipei.
The headquarters of the company are in Taipei.
'Headquarters' is the only correct form; there is no singular 'headquarter' as a noun.
I work at the head office.' (when meaning the main office of a large company)
I work at headquarters.
'Head office' is correct for some British companies, but 'headquarters' is more general and widely understood.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Headquarters is the most formal and widely applicable term, used for military, government, and corporate organizations. Head office is more common in British English and typically refers to the main administrative building of a bank or company — it carries a slightly less bureaucratic feel. HQ is the informal abbreviation used everywhere from casual conversation to news headlines ('Police HQ was evacuated'). Main office is the most general term: a small business might have a 'main office' without calling it 'headquarters,' which would sound exaggerated. For a multinational corporation, 'corporate headquarters' or 'global headquarters' is standard. In American English, the verb is usually singular ('headquarters is'), while British English often treats it as plural ('headquarters are').

headquarters ↗head officeHQmain office

Common collocations

Nouns

  • company headquarters
  • corporate headquarters
  • military headquarters
  • police headquarters
  • election campaign headquarters
  • headquarters staff
  • headquarters building
  • headquarters office

Adverbs

  • directly (from headquarters)
  • globally (headquarters are located)

Phrases

  • at headquarters level
  • headquarters and regional offices
  • based at headquarters

Prepositions

  • at headquarters
  • from headquarters
  • to headquarters
  • in (the) headquarters

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchEnglish

Formed by combining 'head' (meaning chief or most important) with 'quarters' (meaning lodgings or living spaces, especially for military personnel). The word first appeared in the 1600s as a military term for the central location from which a commander directed troops. Over time, its use expanded from military to any large organization, including businesses and government agencies.