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.
As host, Macron was officially chairing the summit but Trump left no doubt over who he believed was in charge.
From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026
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
Manchester United veteran Harry Maguire broke ranks before the squad was officially named to reveal he had been left out and was "shocked and gutted".
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026
A specific list of agreed-upon details hasn’t been released yet, but the deal is set to be officially signed on Friday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 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
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.
