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definitions

okay

[oh-key, oh-key, oh-key]
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adjective, adverb, interjection, noun, verb (used with object)

OK.

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RELATED WORDS

authorize, notarize, sanction, certify, OK, confirm, endorse, accept, pass, condone, approve, accredit, rubber-stamp

Nearby words

  1. oka,
  2. okanagan,
  3. okanagan lake,
  4. okapi,
  5. okavango,
  6. okayama,
  7. okazaki,
  8. oke,
  9. okeechobee,
  10. okeechobee waterway

OK

or O.K., o·kay

[oh-key, oh-key, oh-key]

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 expletive): OK, now where were we?

noun, plural OK's.

an approval, agreement, or endorsement: They gave their OK to her leave of absence.

verb (used with object), OK'd, OK'ing.

to put one's endorsement on or indicate one's approval of (a request, piece of copy, bank check, etc.); authorize; initial: Would you OK my application?

Origin of OK

initials of a facetious folk phonetic spelling, e.g., 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

Usage note

Few Americanisms have been more successful than ok, which survived the political campaign of 1840 that fostered it, quickly lost its political significance, and went on to develop use as a verb, adverb, noun, and interjection. The expression was well known in England by the 1880s. Today ok has achieved worldwide recognition and use. It occurs in all but the most formal speech and writing.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for okayed

  • The next woman wanted to cash a check and that had to be okayed by the manager.

    Jerry's Charge Account|Hazel Hutchins Wilson

  • He asked for an appointment with me; I okayed the request because of his reputation.

    Suite Mentale|Gordon Randall Garrett

  • "We cannot come in until our cargo has been examined and okayed," the engineer said.

    The Brain|Alexander Blade

  • Of course I okayed the orders cutting you down—a matter of routine—I had to follow through.

    Ten From Infinity|Paul W. Fairman
British Dictionary definitions for okayed

OK

abbreviation for

Oklahoma

okay

sentence substitute, adjective, verb, noun

a variant of O.K.
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for okayed
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper