: someone (such as a priest) who officiates at a religious rite

Examples of officiant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Carrero, already a poet, scholar, political organizer and nightlife host, would flaunt yet another title that weekend as wedding officiant. — Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Debora Selinger, an ordained minister and horse owner, was the big day's officiant. — Kaley Fedko, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 Their friend and officiant coordinated a group chat so everyone could keep track of where Meaghan and Adam were inside the store, while another friend ordered pizza ahead of time. — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2026 The couple, who are both instructors at Skydive Seneca Lake, made the jump in upstate New York with their officiant, best man, maid of honor, bridesmaids and groomsmen, reaching speeds of up to 120 mph. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for officiant

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin officiant-, officians, present participle of officiāre "to perform a function, perform priestly duties" — more at officiate

First Known Use

1740, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of officiant was in 1740

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Officiant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/officiant. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Legal Definition

officiant

noun
: one who performs the official duties at a ceremony (as a wedding)
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