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.
Until recently, cases in the U.S. were rare — so much so that the disease was considered officially eliminated nationwide in 2000.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026
Did Gordon Granger, an otherwise obscure Union Army general, really stroll into Galveston and read a decree from Abraham Lincoln declaring, to a sea of onlookers, that all enslaved people were now officially free?
From Salon • Jun. 19, 2026
It's hot, everyone's grumbling and nobody in your house can sleep - which means summer has officially arrived.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
Grand Theft Auto VI preorders will begin June 25, with the game officially releasing on November 19.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
The Guinness Book of World Records keeps calling Mayor Radisson to set up a time to come to Chokecherry to witness it officially for their book.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
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.
