officiate
verb
of·fi·ci·ate
ə-ˈfi-shē-ˌāt 
officiated; officiating
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)
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
Examples of officiate in a Sentence
The bishop officiated the memorial Mass.
Two referees officiated the hockey game.
Recent Examples on the Web
Better pitches, better facilities, better officiating.
—
Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
If properly officiated, the second-down play should have resulted in a team unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of 15 yards assessed from the previous spot.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 Sep. 2025
Pittman argued with the American Conference officiating crew that Braham got away with a push on Neal.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2025
The next critical mistake was a combination of TCU’s inefficiency and a questionable decision by the officiating crew.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for officiate
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Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
If properly officiated, the second-down play should have resulted in a team unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of 15 yards assessed from the previous spot.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 Sep. 2025
Pittman argued with the American Conference officiating crew that Braham got away with a push on Neal.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2025
The next critical mistake was a combination of TCU’s inefficiency and a questionable decision by the officiating crew.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for officiate
Cite this Entry
“Officiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/officiate. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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