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
The wedding was attended by around 1,000 guests and was officiated by actor Adam Sandler, who starred with Travis in the 2026 movie, Happy Gilmore 2.
—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
6 July 2026
Separately, Giuliani and Goodwin examined the officiating history of Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, whose decision to issue the red card ignited the controversy.
—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
6 July 2026
News of Sandler officiating Swift and Kelce’s big day caused some ripples of surprise from corners of the internet.
—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
6 July 2026
The ceremony was officiated by Adam Sandler, and the pair's brothers — Austin Swift and Jason Kelce — acted as their bridal party.
—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
6 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for officiate
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Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
6 July 2026
Separately, Giuliani and Goodwin examined the officiating history of Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, whose decision to issue the red card ignited the controversy.
—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
6 July 2026
News of Sandler officiating Swift and Kelce’s big day caused some ripples of surprise from corners of the internet.
—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
6 July 2026
The ceremony was officiated by Adam Sandler, and the pair's brothers — Austin Swift and Jason Kelce — acted as their bridal party.
—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
6 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for officiate
Cite this Entry
“Officiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/officiate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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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