officiate

verb

of·​fi·​ci·​ate ə-ˈfi-shē-ˌāt 

officiated; officiating

intransitive verb

1

: to perform a ceremony, function, or duty

officiate at a wedding

2

: to act in an official capacity : act as an official (as at a sports contest)

transitive verb

1

: to carry out (an official duty or function)

2

: to serve as a leader or celebrant of (a ceremony)

3

: to administer the rules of (a game or sport) especially as a referee or umpire

officiation

ə-ˌfi-shē-ˈā-shən 

noun

Examples of officiate in a Sentence

The bishop officiated the memorial Mass.

Two referees officiated the hockey game.

Recent Examples on the Web

Plus, the explosion of sports betting and the financial payoffs hanging in the balance offer another reason to improve officiating and judging. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 25 June 2025

The Little White Chapel is obviously the best choice for a quick elopement—possibly officiated by an Elvis impersonator—with a storied history. —Shelby Wax, Vogue, 24 June 2025

However, Park did continue, thanks to some confusing officiating. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025

White said each coach brings officiating issues up during league meetings and understands the job is getting tougher, but officials need to find a way to remedy their calls with the ever-changing league. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin officiātus, past participle of officiāre "to perform a function, perform priestly duties," going back to Late Latin officiārī "to perform a function," derivative of Latin officium "duty, office"

First Known Use

1623, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for officiate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

officiate

verb

of·​fi·​ci·​ate ə-ˈfish-ē-ˌāt 

officiated; officiating

1

: to perform a ceremony

officiate at a wedding

2

: to act as an officer

officiated at the annual meeting

3

: to enforce the rules of (a game or sport)

officiate a soccer match