met office: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal, Media, Everyday (UK context)
Quick answer
What does “met office” mean?
The official national meteorological service for the United Kingdom, responsible for public weather forecasts and warnings.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The official national meteorological service for the United Kingdom, responsible for public weather forecasts and warnings.
A proper noun referring specifically to the UK's national weather service. It can be used colloquially by the public to refer to weather forecasts in general, especially those issued by that authority. It is also the operational name for the Meteorological Office.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
This term is specific to the UK. The equivalent in the US would be the 'National Weather Service (NWS)'. Americans would not refer to their own service as the 'Met Office'.
Connotations
In the UK, it carries connotations of officialdom and authority in weather matters. In the US, using the term would be marked as a Britishism or a direct reference to the UK service.
Frequency
High frequency in UK media and everyday conversation. Very low to zero frequency in American English unless discussing UK affairs.
Grammar
How to Use “met office” in a Sentence
The Met Office + VERB (e.g., issued, warned, predicts)According to + the Met OfficeCheck + with the Met OfficeVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “met office” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- a Met Office spokesperson
- the Met Office forecast
American English
- the UK Met Office data
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in planning, logistics, and risk assessment (e.g., 'We delayed the shipment based on the Met Office storm warning.').
Academic
Used as a data source in climatology, geography, and environmental science papers.
Everyday
Common in conversation about weather plans (e.g., 'Better take an umbrella, the Met Office said it'll rain later.').
Technical
Referenced in meteorology for specific forecast models, warnings, and observational data issued by this entity.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “met office”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “met office”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “met office”
- Writing it in lowercase ('met office').
- Using it as a common noun for any weather service (e.g., 'the American Met Office' is incorrect).
- Using plural verb agreement (e.g., 'The Met Office are...' is less common; 'The Met Office is...' is standard).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It stands for 'Meteorological'. The full name is the Meteorological Office.
You can, but it will be understood as a reference specifically to the UK's service. To refer to the US equivalent, you should say 'National Weather Service' or 'NWS'.
Yes, it is an executive agency and trading fund of the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Because it is a proper noun, the official name of a specific organization, similar to 'Google' or 'the BBC'.
The official national meteorological service for the United Kingdom, responsible for public weather forecasts and warnings.
Met office is usually formal, media, everyday (uk context) in register.
Met office: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmet ˈɒfɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmet ˈɔːfɪs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Take a Met Office”
- “Straight from the Met Office (meaning: authoritatively)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: MET = METEorology, OFFICE = the official place. The UK's official weather place.
Conceptual Metaphor
AN AUTHORITATIVE SOURCE IS A BUILDING/OFFICE (e.g., 'The word from the Met Office').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the direct US equivalent of the UK's 'Met Office'?