officiate
Americanverb (used without object)
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officiates,
present (3rd person singular)
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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).
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to act as a referee, umpire, timekeeper, or other official for (a sports contest or game).
verb
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to hold the position, responsibility, or function of an official
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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
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has been officiatingperfect progressive
Past
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officiatedsimple
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had officiatedperfect
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was officiatingprogressive
-
were officiatingprogressive
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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:
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
Having been fortunate enough to officiate a World Cup final myself, I can assure you that that Vincic will not care one jot who wins.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Today the Scandinavian nation is the only place in Europe’s top 30 leagues to still officiate games the old-fashioned way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
“You don’t want VAR to officiate the game completely,” Arena said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
In the meantime, both coaches agreed that a crew from San Antonio would officiate the game, with the stipulation that at least two of the officials be black.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Meler, 37, is one of Turkey's top referees and officiates international games for Fifa.
From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2023
At one point, she officiates a wedding, asking the groom to promise to “take loving pictures” of his bride “while she’s not looking.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 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
Herbie foils an evil real estate magnate from building a mall that will displace local retirees...then officiates a wedding.
From Golf Digest ● Nov. 12, 2019
In this recess is a door which is partly open, and between the door and the crucifix officiates the priest at a small table.
From The Religious Life of London by J. Ewing (James Ewing) Ritchie
On a recent Sunday, he officiated a packed Mass at the church of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle in Macuto, a city known for its seaside boulevard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Taylor retired last month, announcing in a short statement the end of a career during which he officiated 668 matches in the English professional game, every major domestic cup final, and 163 international fixtures.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
The Salvadoran had already officiated games featuring Messi during his career in various tournaments and at the 2026 World Cup, he faced some of the most renowned soccer players on the planet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Massey‑Ellis, who officiated in more than 150 Premier League matches, will start a senior manager role focused on supporting and developing female officials.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
In February 1963,1 officiated at the University of Islam graduation exercises; when I introduced various members of the Muhammad family, I could feel the cold chill toward them from the Muslims in the audience.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
From the outside, the turnaround from officiating at the highest level to retirement seems sudden.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Here, for the first time, the 47-year-old explains his decision in detail - opening up on the impact of the often toxic debate surrounding officiating, and the intense scrutiny faced by referees.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Here are some recent efforts to address the officiating shortage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
It all contributes to the most complete officiating picture the World Cup has ever seen, right down to the millimeter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 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.
