How Do You Spell OFFICIOUS?

Pronunciation: [əfˈɪʃəs] (IPA)

Officious (əˈfɪʃəs) is a twelve-letter word that refers to a person who is overly assertive or intrusive in their behaviour. The spelling of this word can be broken down into syllables as of-fi-cious. The initial "o" is followed by the unstressed "f" sound, which leads into the stressed "i" sound. The "c" and "i" are pronounced together as the "sh" sound, followed by the "us" sound at the end. The phonetic transcription of this word helps to ensure its correct pronunciation.

OFFICIOUS Meaning and Definition

1. Officious (adj):

   1. Describing someone who is excessively eager or intrusive in offering unwanted advice, assistance, or services, often in a self-important and meddling manner. Such individuals typically involve themselves in matters where they have no authority or relevance, imposing their opinions or help upon others, without consideration for personal boundaries or consent. Their actions may stem from a desire to assert control or superiority over others, or to demonstrate their supposed expertise or knowledge.

   2. Pertaining to actions or behavior marked by unnecessary eagerness or interference, with the intention of being excessively helpful or taking charge without being asked or authorized. Such behavior may be motivated by a misplaced sense of duty, a desire to gain recognition or favor, or simply a lack of respect for personal autonomy. The officious person may not necessarily have malicious intent, but their intrusion can be bothersome, unwarranted, and disruptive.

   3. In some contexts, officious can also refer to something that possesses an air of formality or officiality, relating to established rules and procedures. However, this meaning is less commonly used in contemporary language.

   In summary, someone or something deemed as officious is characterized by intrusive, unwanted interference or eagerness to provide unsolicited assistance, frequently disregarding personal boundaries and consent.

2. Unduly forward in interposing services; intermeddling; busy.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for OFFICIOUS

• officies
• officias
• officors
• ficious
• efficaious
• officiers
• officils
• officilas
• officioal
• officiais
• officior
• offiocious
• offcious
• obfuscious
• oiffcious
• offecious
• offishious
• offishous
• Ruffinious

Etymology of OFFICIOUS

The word "officious" has Latin roots and its etymology can be traced back to two Latin words: "officiosus" and "officium".

The word "officiosus" directly translates to "dutiful" or "obliging" in English. It is derived from the noun "officium", which means "duty", "service", or "office".

In English, "officious" emerged in the 16th century and initially carried a positive connotation, referring to someone who was diligent in the performance of their duties or obligations. However, over time, the term acquired a negative sense, describing individuals who were overly or intrusively eager to offer unwanted help or advice. Today, "officious" is commonly used to describe someone who is excessively meddling, self-important, or overly zealous in enforcing rules or regulations.

Similar spelling word for OFFICIOUS

• officiously.