hq
noun · adjective
Simple meaning
The military installation from which a commander performs the functions of command.
Pronunciation
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The military installation from which a commander performs the functions of command
“The general's headquarters were a couple of large tents.”
The military installation from which troops are commanded and orders are issued; the military unit consisting of a commander and his support staff.
adjective
Of very good quality; superior.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- General and technical use
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The military installation from which a commander performs the functions of command
Used this way, hq is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a military use: it belongs to service and operational language.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Military
- Historical writing
- News/reporting
- Technical/specialist writing
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: military installation from which a commander performs the functions of command
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.