out of office
Not present at one's workplace, typically used in automated email replies to indicate unavailability.
Specifically refers to physical absence from the workplace, often implying limited or no access to work communications. Commonly used for automated email responses.
Word relationships
- unavailable: More general; 'out of office' specifies the reason as physical absence from the workplace.
- away from desk: Implies a shorter, temporary absence, possibly still within the office building.
- in office: Present at one's workplace.
- available: Able to be used or obtained; at someone's disposal.
Commonly confused with
- working remotely: 'Out of office' means unavailable for work; 'working remotely' means working from a non-office location but still available.
Collocations
- set an out of office
- out of office message
- out of office reply
Example sentences
- "I've set my 'out of office' reply to inform senders that I'll be back next Monday." Setting up an email auto-reply.
- "Mr. Henderson is out of office today, but I can take a message for him." Explaining someone's unavailability.
Memory hook
OUT OF OFFICE: You are OUTSIDE the OFFICE building. OOF = Not at desk.
When not to use
While it indicates absence, it's primarily associated with email auto-replies. Don't use it to describe someone's general whereabouts if they are simply working from home or at another location but still accessible.
Fun facts
- The first automated 'out of office' replies likely appeared with early email systems in the 1980s.
- Some companies use 'OOO' as an abbreviation in internal communications.
Explore more words
offline, outage, absenteeism, telecommute, getaway, voluntary departure
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