OK

¹

or o·kay

[ oh-key, oh-key, oh-key ]

adjective

1. all right; proceeding normally; satisfactory or under control:

   Things are OK at the moment.

2. correct, permissible, or acceptable; meeting standards:

   Is this suit OK to wear to a formal party?

3. doing well or in good health; managing adequately:

   She's been OK since the operation.

4. adequate but unexceptional or unremarkable; tolerable:

   The job they did was OK, nothing more.

5. estimable, dependable, or trustworthy; likable:

   an OK person.

adverb

1. all right; well enough; successfully; fine:

   She'll manage OK on her own.

   He sings OK, but he can't tap dance.

2. (used as an affirmative response) yes; surely.
3. (used as an interrogative or interrogative tag) all right?; do you agree?

interjection

1. (used to express agreement, understanding, acceptance, or the like):

   OK, I'll get it for you.

2. (used as an introductory or transitional expression):

   OK, now where were we?

noun

, plural OK's.

1. an approval, agreement, or endorsement:

   They gave their OK to her leave of absence.

verb (used with object)

, OK'd, OK'ing.

1. to put one's endorsement on or indicate one's approval of (a request, piece of copy, bank check, etc.); authorize; initial:

   Would you OK my application?

OK

²

abbreviation for

1. Oklahoma (approved especially for use with zip code).

O.K.

¹

/ ˌəʊˈkeɪ /

sentence substitute

1. an expression of approval, agreement, etc

adjective

1. in good or satisfactory condition
2. permissable

   is it O.K. if I go home now?

3. acceptable but not outstanding

   the party was O.K.

verb

1. tr to approve or endorse

noun

1. approval or agreement

OK

²

abbreviation for

1. Oklahoma

Word History and Origins

Origin of OK¹

Initials of a facetious folk phonetic spelling, i.e., oll or orl korrect representing all correct, first attested in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1839, then used in 1840 by Democrat partisans of Martin Van Buren during his election campaign, who allegedly named their organization, the O.K. Club, in allusion to the initials of Old Kinderhook, Van Buren's nickname, derived from his birthplace, Kinderhook, New York

Word History and Origins

Origin of OK¹

C19: perhaps from o ( ll ) k ( orrect ), jocular alteration of all correct

Example Sentences

That was when directors told the company, ‘O.K., take a break, be back in 15.’

From The Daily Beast

“O.K.,” says Scott Skiles, looking up at his newest teammate.

From The Daily Beast

Things are not O.K.” On the back of the page, she scrawled in red ink, “Are you even on my side?

From The Daily Beast

Naco is located around 30 miles south of Tombstone, where one of the most famous gun battles happened at the O.K. Corral.

From The Daily Beast

The legendary Earp-Clanton bloodbath at the O.K. Corral is reenacted frequently.

From The Daily Beast

The slender cargo doors stood open around Valier's girth, awaiting his own personal O.K.

From Project Gutenberg

I thought that was all that was holding him back—waiting for his sister to look you over and give you her O.K.?

From Project Gutenberg

Getting put out with folks is bad, but isnt making up about O.K?

From Project Gutenberg

Moya nodded, lowered and secured the helmet, checked lines, and rapped O.K.

From Project Gutenberg

You're in the same boat as the rest of us, and you still keep insisting that the sickmen are O.K.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• fine
• okay