officiate

/əˈfɪʃieɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈfɪʃieɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈfi-shē-ˌāt/ (ame, mw)

officiate — verb

  • officiatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • officiateshe / she / it
  • officiatedpast simple
  • officiating-ing form

1. to lead the formal parts of a ceremony or public occasion as the person official

1.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

to lead the formal parts of a ceremony or public occasion as the person officially responsible for it

例句

Nora will officiate at her cousin's beach wedding on Saturday.

officiate at + [wedding]

A retired monk officiated at the temple blessing for the new shop.

同義詞
  • preside

    broader and often used for meetings or hearings, not only ceremonies

  • conduct

    more general and less ritual-focused than officiate

  • celebrate

    used especially for religious services such as Mass

文法句型

officiate at + [wedding/ceremony/funeral]

officiate + [service/ceremony]

用法筆記

Usually describes weddings, funerals, religious services, and other formal occasions. It often appears with 'at', but it can also take a ceremony noun directly in more formal writing.

常見錯誤

❌The judge was the officiator of the wedding.
✅The judge officiated at the wedding.
💡English normally uses the verb 'officiate'; the noun 'officiator' is rare.

2. to work as the official who applies the rules in a sports event, making decision

2.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

to work as the official who applies the rules in a sports event, making decisions and keeping play fair

例句

Quan officiated the youth football final despite heavy rain.

officiate + [match/final]

A former player officiated at the weekend basketball game for free.

officiate at + [sports event]

同義詞
  • referee

    the everyday sports verb is usually 'referee', while officiate sounds more formal

  • umpire

    used for particular sports such as tennis, baseball, and cricket

  • judge

    used when the official scores performance rather than controls general play

文法句型

officiate + [match/game/final]

officiate at + [sports event]

用法筆記

This sense is mainly used in sports and focuses on enforcing the rules during play. Distinguish it from sense 1, which is about ceremonies, and sense 3, which is about carrying out a public role more generally.

3. to perform the formal duties attached to an official position, especially while

3.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to perform the formal duties attached to an official position, especially while acting for someone else

例句

For one week, Amelia officiated as dean while Dr. Salma was in Cairo.

officiate as + [official role]

During the king's illness, Minister Brooke officiated in his place at court.

officiate in someone's place

同義詞
  • act

    more general and often used in phrases like 'act as director'

  • serve

    broader and less focused on formal duties or temporary replacement

  • discharge

    very formal and stresses completing official responsibilities

文法句型

officiate as + [role]

officiate in + someone's place

用法筆記

A formal and relatively rare use. It usually suggests temporarily doing the work of an official post rather than leading a ceremony or judging a sporting event.