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.
On Wednesday, Allbirds formally completed the sale of its sneaker brand and footwear assets to American Exchange Group and officially changed its legal name to Smartbird.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 17, 2026
More than 160 of the 940-plus punished officials—or over one in six—were cited for engaging in superstitious activities and beliefs, which the officially atheist Communist Party prohibits for its members.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
And finally, might we officially recommend … some sunshine?
From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026
Rackspace Technology surged more than 20% after unveiling a partnership that officially establishes Advanced Micro Devices as the main hardware provider for Rackspace’s AI cloud.
From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026
The main hallway of the Saw Whet School was a busy place until 8:35 a.m., when class officially started.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
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.
