Word
headquarters
Phoneticshead·quar·ters, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈhɛdˌkɔɹtɝz/
UK/hɛdkwˈɔːtəz/
Definitions
01main office
B2 · Upper Intermediate Plural noun
n. the main building or office where the leaders of a company or organization work.
n. the central administrative office or place of business from which an organization is directed.
“The tech company moved its global headquarters to a new building in the city center.”
“The multinational corporation decided to relocate its regional headquarters to Singapore to better manage its expanding operations in Southeast Asia.”
Usage
Can be treated as either singular or plural; 'the headquarters is' and 'the headquarters are' are both acceptable.
Pitfall
The company's headquarter is in London.
The company's headquarters is in London.
Even when referring to a single building, the word almost always ends in 's'.
Antonyms
02military command
B2 · Upper Intermediate Plural noun
n. the place where a military commander and their staff give orders.
n. the military installation or unit from which a commander exercises command and control.
“The general returned to headquarters to plan the next stage of the mission.”
“Field officers were summoned to headquarters to receive classified briefings regarding the upcoming deployment across the border.”
Synonyms
03to be based in
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to have the main office or center of operations in a specific place.
v. to establish or locate the headquarters of an organization in a particular place.
“The charity is headquartered in Geneva but works in over fifty countries.”
“Although the startup was founded in a garage, it is now headquartered in a sprawling campus designed to foster creative collaboration.”
Usage
Usually used in the passive voice ('is headquartered in').
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “headquarters” in context.
Verb
01. establish headquarters
“The tech giant decided to establish headquarters in Dublin to take advantage of the tax benefits.”
verb + noun
02. move headquarters
“The company plans to move headquarters to a more modern facility in the city center next year.”
verb + noun
03. visit the headquarters
“New employees are often invited to visit the headquarters for a week of orientation and training.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. corporate headquarters
“All major financial decisions are approved at the corporate headquarters in New York.”
adj + noun
05. permanent headquarters
“After years of renting temporary offices, the charity finally found a permanent headquarters.”
adj + noun
06. regional headquarters
“They opened a regional headquarters in Singapore to manage their operations across Southeast Asia.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. headquarters staff
“The headquarters staff is responsible for coordinating communication between all the international branches.”
noun + noun
Preposition
08. at headquarters
“The manager is currently at headquarters attending the annual board meeting.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“The UN hosted more than 600 young people from around the world on Wednesday at New York Headquarters to discuss how AI can support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” “She also travelled by bus to the district headquarters in Chhatarpur, carrying her documents.” Etymology
From head + quarters.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/headquarters