headquarter
B2Formal, Business, Official
Definition
Meaning
To provide or serve as the main administrative centre for an organization.
Refers to the act of establishing or locating the principal offices or command centre of a company, military unit, or organization in a specific place.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Almost exclusively used as a verb in the passive voice ('to be headquartered'). The related noun is always plural in form: 'headquarters' (e.g., the company's headquarters). The verb 'headquarter' is a back-formation from the noun 'headquarters'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The spelling and grammatical behaviour are identical. The word is equally common in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral and administrative. Connotes officialdom, centralised control, and corporate identity.
Frequency
Common in formal business, news, and administrative contexts in both BrE and AmE.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Organization] + be + headquartered + in/at + [Location]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “HQ (common abbreviation in informal business writing)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The tech giant is headquartered in a sprawling campus in Silicon Valley.
Academic
The study examined firms headquartered in tax-efficient jurisdictions.
Everyday
I think that charity is headquartered somewhere in London.
Technical
The division's command and control functions are headquartered at the secure facility.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The energy firm will be headquartered in Aberdeen.
- Several regiments are headquartered at this historic barracks.
American English
- The startup chose to be headquartered in Austin, Texas.
- The nonprofit is headquartered in downtown Chicago.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The big bank is headquartered in this city.
- Many famous companies are headquartered in New York.
- The organisation, which is headquartered in Geneva, employs over five thousand people globally.
- Although headquartered in a relatively small European country, the corporation exerts considerable influence on global markets.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the HEAD (main) part of a company getting its QUARTERS (living/working space) in a city. So, to HEADQUARTER means to give it its main home.
Conceptual Metaphor
AN ORGANIZATION IS A BODY (The headquarters is the head/brain from which instructions are sent to the rest of the body).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Нельзя использовать как существительное. В русском 'штаб-квартира' — это существительное (headquarters), а 'headquarter' — только глагол.
- В русском переводе глагольной конструкции 'is headquartered' часто используется пассивный залог или описательный оборот: 'располагает штаб-квартирой', 'базируется', 'имеет головной офис'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'headquarter' as a singular noun (e.g., 'Visit our headquarter'). Correct: 'Visit our headquarters'.
- Using the active voice incorrectly (e.g., 'The company headquarter in Berlin'). Correct: 'The company is headquartered in Berlin'.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses the verb 'headquarter' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the standard noun form is always the plural 'headquarters', even when referring to a single location (e.g., The headquarters is modern). 'Headquarter' as a noun is considered an error.
Extremely rarely. The active voice (e.g., 'The CEO headquartered the company in Dallas') is grammatically possible but sounds unnatural. The passive construction ('is headquartered') is standard.
'Headquarter' specifically means to establish the *main* administrative centre. 'Locate' is more general and can refer to placing any office, factory, or facility.
In British English: /ˌhɛdˈkwɔːtəd/. In American English: /ˌhɛdˈkwɔːrtərd/. The stress is on the second syllable: head-QUAR-tered.