OK
adjective
all right; proceeding normally; satisfactory or under control.
OK
1 American
[oh-kay, oh-kay, oh-kay]
/ ˈoʊˈkeɪ, ˌoʊˈkeɪ, ˈoʊˌkeɪ /
Also
O.K.,
or
okay
adjective
-
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.
adverb
-
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?
interjection
-
(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?
noun
-
OK's
plural
verb (used with object)
-
OKs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
OK's,
present (3rd person singular)
-
OKed,
past participle, past
-
OK'd,
past participle, past
-
OKing,
present participle
-
OK'ing
present participle
OK
2
American
abbreviation
O.K.
1
British
/ ˌəʊˈkeɪ /
adjective
-
in good or satisfactory condition
-
permissable
is it O.K. if I go home now?
-
acceptable but not outstanding
the party was O.K.
verb
noun
OK
2
British
abbreviation
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
OKsimple
-
OK'ssimple
-
OKssimple
-
have OK'dperfect
-
have OKedperfect
-
has OK'dperfect
-
has OKedperfect
-
am OK'ingprogressive
-
am OKingprogressive
-
are OK'ingprogressive
-
are OKingprogressive
-
is OK'ingprogressive
-
is OKingprogressive
-
have been OK'ingperfect progressive
-
have been OKingperfect progressive
-
has been OK'ingperfect progressive
-
has been OKingperfect progressive
Past
-
OK'dsimple
-
OKedsimple
-
had OK'dperfect
-
had OKedperfect
-
was OK'ingprogressive
-
was OKingprogressive
-
were OK'ingprogressive
-
were OKingprogressive
-
had been OK'ingperfect progressive
-
had been OKingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of OK
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
Explanation
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."
Vocabulary lists containing ok
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.
See Examples For:
The solar industry is pleased to see its projects getting the OK.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
The love story is the kind of theme that sometimes it’s OK to lean into, even though he’s constantly battling whether he should explore it in his films, Wilson added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
It’s OK to set boundaries with people, whether it’s a spouse, children, parents, friends or neighbors.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
She said: "I told my creative team, I want to play her Welsh. And they went OK."
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
“Kids, you’re with Mavis and Emma! Nobody leaves the kiddie pool, OK? Snacks and drinks are already out there. We’ll see you in a couple hours.”
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Other titles to be shown using the VistaVision projector include John Sturges’ “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,” Robert Lewis’ musical “Anything Goes” and Michael Curtiz’s comedy “We’re No Angels.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
By the way, the Wolford ruling doesn’t turn Hawaii into the O.K.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Which brings us to Candlestick Park, the O.K.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
Almost half of the 58 starters failed to finish on the O.K. course, which was set by one of the Italian coaches, Paolo Stefanini.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 17, 2023
Dad kept trying to make it seem O.K.
From "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" by Christopher Paul Curtis
Now, 2019 OK’s brief but alarming appearance is sure to nudge that discussion forward.
From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2019
With so much thought given to OK's slogans and packaging, what about the reddish-brown beverage itself?
From Time Magazine Archive
Otherwise, you cannot take those steps unless a person with power of attorney OKs it.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 17, 2025
When the federal government OKs a permit for a project that will discharge into navigable waters, state governments have the right to review the project to make sure it complies with state laws.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 22, 2021
I heard a rumor they may add a number for Ms. Rigg to sing after the curtain call for while the Tony voters are there, if Alan Jay Lerner OKs it.
From New York Times ● May 1, 2018
But even after the Senate OKs the budget and sends it to the desk of Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo, both legislative chambers have many more bills to vote on before they adjourn for the year.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 25, 2017
A flimsy foundation of oral OKs, napkin scribblings and youthful haste, it turns out, is a dangerous mix.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2015
Wainschel’s post, which was OK’d by his daughter on the condition he didn’t embarrass her, didn’t lead to a job but did result in productive conversations, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
The House version required both parents have a Social Security number, but the Senate OK'd a requirement of only one parent.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2025
JetBlue swooped in for Spirit with a $3.8 billion deal, which shareholders OK’d in October 2022.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2024
The mistake sent the process back to the drawing board: first, back through Yost’s office; then back through the ballot board, which again OK’d the measure as a single issue Monday.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 20, 2023
His chief OK'd a trip and within an hour Lieutenant Brown and Captain Davidson were flying to Tacoma in an Air Force B-25.
From The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by Edward J. Ruppelt
It also OKed the merger of BB&T and SunTrust, bringing more concentration in the sector.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2021
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mostly OKed this reopening, with the provision that everyone should mask up in schools and, if 12 or older, be vaccinated against COVID-19.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2021
Lygo describes himself as Emperor Nero, giving the final thumbs up or down, and Webb-Lamb is in a similar position: both hear pitches after they’ve already been OKed by commissioning editors further down the chain.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 6, 2021
The ordinance was initially approved June 12 and, if OKed after a second reading Tuesday night, would take effect in 30 days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2018
To enter the press suite you need to have been previously OKed by the press officer and to work for an approved media organisation.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 17, 2011
U.S. regulators have approved a new pneumonia vaccine from Merck, more than a month after OK’ing an improved version of rival Pfizer’s shot.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 16, 2021
The measure cleared the Ohio Senate by just three votes, and the House followed by OK’ing Senate changes 67-28.
From Salon ● May 25, 2016
It did so not by setting an aspirational goal for two or three decades from now, but by OKing a big construction project.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2016
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.
