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.
Now, Menounos appears ready to officially part ways with her longtime residence, placing the estate on the market for $6.995 million.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
He agreed to put £250,000 towards the boat and, barely a year after the old station closed, the new boat was officially launched.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
“As long as the Strait of Hormuz remains officially closed, only a small portion of Qatari LNG is reaching the global market.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Whether you like the song or not, its appeal is officially undeniable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
By 2011, the West African black rhino was officially declared extinct, thanks to poachers who mercilessly killed them for their horns—which people then use for decorative carvings and grind into powder for medicines.
From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh
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.
