officiate

verb

of·fi·ci·ate | \ ə-ˈfi-shē-ˌāt

officiated; officiating

Definition of officiate

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

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Examples of officiate in a Sentence

The bishop officiated the memorial Mass. Two referees officiated the hockey game.

Recent Examples on the Web

Yes, officiating a factor in NHL above and beyond other sports. — Matt Pepin, BostonGlobe.com, "You had questions for Kevin Paul Dupont about the Bruins and Game 7? Here are some answers," 12 June 2019 Green thought he was fouled, but referee Eric Lewis, officiating his first NBA Finals game, granted the Raptors possession. — Matt Schneidman, The Mercury News, "Warriors’ Draymond Green has to be extra careful in Game 6," 12 June 2019 Wrestling officials earn around $84 to officiate a varsity match. — Phil Anastasia, https://www.inquirer.com, "NJSIAA nears ruling on Buena wrestling controversy," 5 June 2019 Not only were musicians like Diplo and Khalid there to celebrate with the newlyweds, but in classic Vegas fashion, a Elvis impersonator officiated the ceremony. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Who is Sophie Turner, Joe Jonas' New Wife?," 2 May 2019 Mia’s uncle officiated the ceremony, and the couple worked with him closely to come up with something that respected their Jewish traditions but also felt relevant to their values. — Alexandra Macon, Vogue, "This Wedding in the Berkshires Turned Into an Exuberant Lawn Party," 9 Jan. 2019 Former co-host of The View, Michelle Collins, officiated the ceremony that took place at Mahaffey Theater in downtown St. Petersburg. — Rose Minutaglio, Good Housekeeping, "EXCLUSIVE: Pre-K Sweethearts Who Matched Online 30 Years Later Welcome Baby Boy," 18 June 2018 Neighbor/landlord/preacher Jeremy officiated the ceremony, which began at 2 p.m. — exactly one year after Carole’s first plane to Oregon landed. — Philly.com, "Philadelphia weddings: Carole Flynn and Brad Anderson," 2 May 2018 O’Malley told mourners Wednesday after officiating at the funeral Mass for Father Borges, which was held in St. Albert the Great Church. — J.m. Lawrence, BostonGlobe.com, "Rev. Laurence J. Borges, 87; served as pastor at Weymouth church 3 times," 27 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'officiate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.