ex officio
adverb or adjective
ex of·fi·cio
ˌek-sə-ˈfi-shē-ˌō 
-sē-
: by virtue or because of an office
The Vice President serves ex officio as president of the Senate.
Examples of ex officio in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Grenell countered that ex officio members don’t get a vote.
—
Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, who is an ex officio board member of the center, has filed a lawsuit challenging the renaming.
—Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
According to the Post, the Kennedy Center’s bylaws have not necessarily previously designated ex officio members as able to vote.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 31 Dec. 2025
Congress also designates ex officio members of the board, who remain.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ex officio
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Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, who is an ex officio board member of the center, has filed a lawsuit challenging the renaming.
—Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
According to the Post, the Kennedy Center’s bylaws have not necessarily previously designated ex officio members as able to vote.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 31 Dec. 2025
Congress also designates ex officio members of the board, who remain.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ex officio
Cite this Entry
“Ex officio.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ex%20officio. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ex officio
adverb or adjective
ex of·fi·cio
ˌeks-ə-ˈfish-ē-ˌō
-ˈfis-
: because of an office
the Vice President serves ex officio as president of the Senate
Legal Definition
ex officio
adverb or adjective
ex of·fic·io
ˈeks-ə-ˈfi-shē-ō, -sē-ō
: by virtue or because of an office
the Vice President serves ex officio as president of the Senate
an ex officio member of the board
Etymology
Late Latin
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