officiate
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to serve as the priest or minister of (a divine service, religious ceremony, etc.).
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to perform, carry out, or fulfill (an official duty or function).
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to act as a referee, umpire, timekeeper, or other official for (a sports contest or game).
verb
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to hold the position, responsibility, or function of an official
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to conduct a religious or other ceremony
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of officiate
First recorded in 1625–35; from Medieval Latin officiātus (past participle of officiāre “to serve”), equivalent to Latin offici(um) “service, duty” + -ātus, past participle suffix; see office, -ate 1
Explanation
To officiate is to preside over a ceremony, or to be the person in charge. At most weddings, a religious leader or judge officiates. A rabbi might officiate during your cousin's wedding, or the happy couple might ask a friend to officiate. When an official acts in some official way, they also officiate. A referee, for example, officiates at a hockey game, and a town's mayor might officiate at the grand opening of a new library. Officiate, as of the seventeenth century, mainly meant "perform the duty of a priest," from the Latin root officium, "kindness," or "official duty," and also "church service."
Vocabulary lists containing officiate
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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.
DeLorenzo spent nearly two decades as an official, working her way up through high school and various levels of college football, before becoming only the third woman to officiate NFL games.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Scottish referee Hollie Davidson will make history on Saturday in Dublin when she becomes the first woman to officiate a men's Six Nations match.
From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026
Now, she requires each team to supply a referee to officiate the other teams’ events, and carries a megaphone to boost compliance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 5, 2025
It may use artificial intelligence to analyse the footage, but the All England Lawn Tennis Club says AI is not used to directly officiate.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2025
In the meantime, both coaches agreed that a crew from San Antonio would officiate the game, with the stipulation that at least two of the officials be black.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
