officially
Britishadverb
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in a formal or authoritative manner
the Queen officially opened the dome
-
in a way that is formally acknowledged but is not necessarily the case
officially on the dole but actually holding a job
Explanation
If something's done officially, it's done formally, often with the backing of some kind of authority, like a government. You might be elected president in November, but you won't officially take office until January of the following year. The adverb officially can describe something that's done publicly in an official and formal way. A company's CEO may officially resign after speculation about money laundering became public. An advertising campaign might officially launch with a Super Bowl ad. Officially can also describe something authorized by a government or other organization with authority. The government may officially announce that unemployment has decreased in the last six months.
Vocabulary lists containing officially
Lesson 5
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Excerpt from "Kira-Kira"
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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.
In 1855, British astronomer William Jacob proposed that the system contained a planet, making it the first star system to host an officially proposed exoplanet candidate.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
The Timberwolves officially announced his acquisition in July as part of a multiteam deal that also brought guard Josh Green to Minnesota.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
After the plan has been officially published later this week, there will be a two-week public comment period.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Now he finds himself back on the hunt in an officially recognized unofficial capacity most everyone agrees is a good, or not a really bad, thing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
On November 19, the Allied offensive was officially called off.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
