officially
Britishadverb
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in a formal or authoritative manner
the Queen officially opened the dome
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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.
It wasn’t until June 19, 1865 that Texas officially freed its slaves after Union General Gordon Granger, along with more than 2,000 soldiers, read federal orders in Galveston, Texas.
From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026
It wasn’t until 1989, in fact, that the Indianapolis Clowns officially disbanded, having outlasted the Negro Leagues themselves by several decades.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026
As much as the movie frets about kids with a death-grip on their technological addiction, it also wants to play in perpetuity on millions of streaming devices, including an officially licensed “Toy Story”-branded tablet.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
“FOMO” mentality has driven unprecedented market action surrounding SpaceX, which officially went public last Friday.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 18, 2026
Finally, in 1988, the report filed with the chief directorate of personnel on September 16, 1943, was officially changed to say that Lilya Litvyak had been “killed in action.”
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
