all right; proceeding normally; satisfactory or under control.
Things are OK at the moment.
correct, permissible, or acceptable; meeting standards.
Is this suit OK to wear to a formal party?
doing well or in good health; managing adequately.
She's been OK since the operation.
adequate but unexceptional or unremarkable; tolerable.
The job they did was OK, nothing more.
estimable, dependable, or trustworthy; likable.
an OK person.
all right; well enough; successfully; fine.
She'll manage OK on her own.
He sings OK, but he can't tap dance.
(used as an affirmative response) yes; surely.
(used as an interrogative or interrogative tag) all right?; do you agree?
(used to express agreement, understanding, acceptance, or the like).
OK, I'll get it for you.
(used as an introductory or transitional expression).
OK, now where were we?
in good or satisfactory condition
permissable
is it O.K. if I go home now?
acceptable but not outstanding
the party was O.K.
And is OK in the dictionary? OK is a word. The term OK may also be spelled okay. There is confusion as to whether OK is a word because it is informal, looks like an acronym, and is spelled with all capital letters. However, none of these elements disqualify OK from being a valid word.
Initials of a facetious folk phonetic spelling, i.e., oll or orl korrect representing all correct, first attested in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1839, then used in 1840 by Democrat partisans of Martin Van Buren during his election campaign, who allegedly named their organization, the O.K. Club, in allusion to the initials of Old Kinderhook, Van Buren's nickname, derived from his birthplace, Kinderhook, New York
Anything that's ok is all right or fine. A perfectly ok answer when your dad asks how your homework is going is "Ok." If something's ok, it's not terrible, but it's not wonderful either — it's simply ok. You can use this informal word to ask if something's acceptable: "Hey, is it ok if I borrow your car?" It's also a good way to check up on someone's well-being: "You look sad today; are you ok?" Ok is the only known example that's still in use of a 19th century slang trend of abbreviating deliberate misspellings. Ok comes from "oll korrect."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Locally, the family of Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas narrowly escaped tragedy and were doing OK after the earthquakes.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026
“It’s OK, my love,” Fajardo said, patting his head.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026
In addition, there is an exemption for build-to-rent companies, meaning it’s OK for large investors to own newly built houses that are intended to serve as rentals from the get-go.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026
He said he once told his dad he wanted to quit and his dad just said, "OK, let's just stop then".
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
“The toilet paper seems to be working OK, though.”
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
