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Glite Dictionary
💒 To conduct ceremony 🧑‍💼 To lead officially
to officiate

to officiate

15 6.6
To lead a ceremony, such as a wedding, as a person with authority
  • verb
  • /əˈfɪʃiˌeɪt/
  • Formal
translation icon : oficiar
  • You know I'll be officiating at the ceremony on Friday.
  • officiate at a wedding
  • officiate at the ceremony
  • officiate as a priest

But I was officiating the wedding, so I could not go.

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Examples

  • Yeah, we actually asked Ingemar to officiate the wedding.

    Midsommar (2019)

  • I had the honor of officiating at the service when she became a bat mitzvah.

    Tahara (2020)

  • Two recent students told Foster that they would not get married unless he came to Maine to officiate at their wedding.

    Academic text (1994)

  • But I was officiating the wedding, so I could not go.

    The Financial Diet

  • He will not be able to officiate the wedding.

    The Wedding Ringer (2015)

  • Because this Thursday I will be officiating my sister's wedding.

  • In fact, Reverend Singletary officiated at my wedding.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • OK, so I told you, maybe I didn't tell you, but I recently officiated my sister's wedding in Portland.

  • The minister's voice was strong and surprisingly cheerful, given the fact that he was officiating at a memorial service.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • I was thrilled to officiate the wedding of my best friends last weekend.

Synonyms

to marry
vsto officiate
656 1.6

To perform a ceremony to join two people as partners

is the general act of performing official duties at ceremonies
to do the honors
vsto officiate
27 7.1

Carry out a social duty like introducing guests or serving drinks

involves formal authority performing an official ceremonial duty
to solemnize
vsto officiate
  • Formal
1 8.2

To mark an event with a formal, serious ceremony

focuses on carrying out an official duty at a ceremony
to compere
vsto officiate
  • UK
8.1

To act as a host at a show and introduce performers or speakers

refers to doing an official duty at a ceremony rather than hosting entertainment

How Involved

to preside
  • Formal
131 5.6
to officiate
  • Formal
15 6.6
to assist
605 1.0
to participate
866 2.5
to attend
∞ 1.7

Surface Forms

officiate infinitive
officiated past
officiated past participle
officiating present participle
officiates third person singular

Morphology

officiate = office (semi-transparent) = offici + ate

The verb's sense 'perform an official duty at a ceremony' connects to 'office'/'official', but the Latinate verb formation and specialized ceremonial sense make it less directly inferable for some learners.

Etymology

Officiate comes from the Latin word officium, meaning 'duty' or 'service', and is the same root you find in office and official. So, to officiate at a wedding, baptism, or ceremony is to perform the official 'service' or duty of that event.