officiate
Americanverb (used without object)
-
officiates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
officiated,
past participle, past
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officiating
present participle
verb (used with object)
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officiates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
officiated,
past participle, past
-
officiating
present participle
-
to serve as the priest or minister of (a divine service, religious ceremony, etc.).
-
to perform, carry out, or fulfill (an official duty or function).
-
to act as a referee, umpire, timekeeper, or other official for (a sports contest or game).
verb
-
to hold the position, responsibility, or function of an official
-
to conduct a religious or other ceremony
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
officiatesimple
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officiatessimple
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have officiatedperfect
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has officiatedperfect
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am officiatingprogressive
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are officiatingprogressive
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is officiatingprogressive
-
have been officiatingperfect progressive
-
has been officiatingperfect progressive
Past
-
officiatedsimple
-
had officiatedperfect
-
was officiatingprogressive
-
were officiatingprogressive
-
had been officiatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of officiate
First recorded in 1625–35; from Medieval Latin officiātus (past participle of officiāre “to serve”), equivalent to Latin offici(um) “service, duty” + -ātus, past participle suffix; see office, -ate 1
Explanation
To officiate is to preside over a ceremony, or to be the person in charge. At most weddings, a religious leader or judge officiates. A rabbi might officiate during your cousin's wedding, or the happy couple might ask a friend to officiate. When an official acts in some official way, they also officiate. A referee, for example, officiates at a hockey game, and a town's mayor might officiate at the grand opening of a new library. Officiate, as of the seventeenth century, mainly meant "perform the duty of a priest," from the Latin root officium, "kindness," or "official duty," and also "church service."
Vocabulary lists containing officiate
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
She also launched a fashion line, established a "Church of Self-Obliteration" and styled herself the "High Priestess of Polka Dots" to officiate at a gay wedding.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
The World Cup semifinal — one of the biggest matches a referee can officiate — had just been entrusted to the Salvadoran.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
After referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US before the tournament started, Uefa invited the Somali to officiate the Super Cup between Paris St-Germain and Aston Villa on 12 August.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
A company called RefReps developed a curriculum for schools to train high-school students to officiate junior-level games.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
He's wearing blue jeans, a kurta, and a saffron scarf draped around his neck—and is smiling as if he's about to officiate a wedding instead of a shradh ceremony.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
Meler, 37, is one of Turkey's top referees and officiates international games for Fifa.
From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2023
Wounded: It is standard to compensate the person who officiates at the wedding — even if that person is a friend who would perform the ceremony for free.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 1, 2022
A referee officiates, while judges among the crowd deliver their verdicts in cases when there is no obvious winner.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 4, 2021
Cantor Rachel Goldman doesn’t often stay for the reception at the weddings she officiates, to “keep things professional,” as she put it.
From New York Times ● Apr. 16, 2021
The Count de Wratislaw, who has the care of his Imperial Majesty's Affairs at this Court, officiates there again as Steward.
A spokesperson for the couple did later confirm reports that the ceremony was officiated by Adam Sandler, while also sharing details about the couple’s wedding day looks.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026
Leading the investigation was Wachtell Lipton partner David B. Andersk, a renowned lawyer first retained by the NBA in 2007 when the FBI investigated referee Tim Donaghy for allegedly betting on games he officiated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
The wedding was officiated by Ross Douthat, the former New York Times columnist who recently joined “60 Minutes.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Little is known, other than that the ceremony was officiated by comedian/actor Adam Sandler, the couple were dressed by Jonathan Anderson for Christian Dior, and Swift wore Louboutin shoes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
She would spend the next few weeks tracking down the new form, filling it out with all the required documentation, and having it officiated and notarized.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
The game ended 17 minutes before midnight thanks in part to several long deliberations by the officiating crew.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
The 58-year-old began officiating in 1985 and progressed from refereeing in the Football League 10 years later, and then to Premier League in 2000.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Student broadcasters will participate in the event that will feature an all-women officiating crew.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
From the outside, the turnaround from officiating at the highest level to retirement seems sudden.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
The church’s pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, was known as a sensational preacher with a passion for social justice and was now officiating at our wedding.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
