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.
Before he came to court, much of what we knew about the case came from police sources but never officially from the police themselves.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
“Leave your Meta-SpyBan Display at home, they are officially Ray-Ban-ned from all of our restaurants. We serve privacy, not side-eye surveillance,” a 2025 Instagram post from the business states.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Beijing hasn’t officially banned red-chips from listing, but their paths to IPO face heightened oversight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Hey everyone, I’m Genna Contino and I’m officially taking the driver’s seat at Don’t Short Yourself as lead writer, where I’ll be delivering smart, actionable tips to your inbox.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Our search officially started when I was seven, about two years after I moved in with Nan.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
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.
