OFFICIATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does officiate mean? 

• OFFICIATE (verb)
  The verb OFFICIATE has 2 senses:

1. act in an official capacity in a ceremony or religious ritual, such as a wedding

2. perform duties attached to a particular office or place or function

  Familiarity information: OFFICIATE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OFFICIATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they officiate    ... he / she / it officiates   
Past simple: officiated   
Past participle: officiated   
-ing form: officiating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Act in an official capacity in a ceremony or religious ritual, such as a wedding

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

Who officiated at your wedding?

Hypernyms (to "officiate" is one way to...):

perform (perform a function)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "officiate"):

marry; splice; tie; wed (perform a marriage ceremony)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

office (the actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group)

office (a religious rite or service prescribed by ecclesiastical authorities)

officiant (a clergyman who officiates at a religious ceremony or service)

officiation (the performance of a religious or ceremonial or public duty)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Perform duties attached to a particular office or place or function

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

function; officiate

Context example:

His wife officiated as his private secretary

Hypernyms (to "officiate" is one way to...):

serve (do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

office (a job in an organization)

office (the actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group)

office (a religious rite or service prescribed by ecclesiastical authorities)

office ((of a government or government official) holding an office means being in power)

officiating (the act of umpiring)

officiation (the performance of a religious or ceremonial or public duty)

officiation (the act of umpiring)

 Context examples 

“Is it possible that I had the honour, sir, of officiating when—?”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

We had to walk two miles to Brocklebridge Church, where our patron officiated.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Mr. Weston directed the whole, officiating safely between Hartfield and the Vicarage, and every body was in good time.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

The principal gentleman who officiated behind the counter, took a good deal of notice of me; and often got me, I recollect, to decline a Latin noun or adjective, or to conjugate a Latin verb, in his ear, while he transacted my business.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)