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.
A coyote became the first large mammal documented exploring the massive Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over the 101 Freeway, which doesn’t officially open until next month.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
The tech-heavy Nasdaq index had already wobbled before this week and now is officially in a correction, having fallen around 12 percent over the past month.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
However, it would be six more years before it was officially published.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
The Triumphal Arch, as it is officially named, is being constructed to honor the nation’s 250th anniversary, according to the National Park Service.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
“I am so glad to see you here this evening, because this afternoon my optometrist gave me eye drops and I couldn’t see a thing! Before I officially illuminate our Olympic torch...”
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
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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.
