OK

PluralOKs, OK's

FormsOKs, OKing, OKed

1. 1
   fine to doadjective

   Acceptable or allowed; also, of a person, satisfied with or willing to accept something.

   Is it OK to park here overnight, or will I get a ticket?

   Wearing jeans to the office is OK on Fridays.

   Similaracceptable, allowed, permissible, fine, alright

   Oppositeunacceptable, forbidden

   Note

   The adjective usually sits in a frame with it: is it OK if I stay, is it OK to park here. Playful writing even gives it comparatives; Judith Crist, mocking a film's thesis in TV Guide in 1967, ran from OK to even more OK to even OKer. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

   • Judith Crist wrote the passage in TV Guide in 1967. en.wiktionary.org
   • Crist used the sequence OK, even more OK, and even OKer. archive.org
   • The passage mocks a film's thesis. archive.org
2. 2
   agreedinterjection

   Used to show that you have understood or accept what was said, sometimes sarcastically to show disbelief.

   "Your table will be ready in ten minutes." "OK, we'll wait at the bar."

   OK, OK, I'll turn the music down.

   Similaralright, fine, sure, right

   Note

   Tone decides what this OK means, anywhere from cheerful agreement to grudging surrender: said twice and fast, OK, OK, it usually means the speaker is giving in. Casual speech and writing trim it to 'kay or k, and playful speech stretches it to okey-dokey.

3. 3
   just averageadjective

   Satisfactory or reasonably good, but not exceptional.

   The hotel was OK, but we wouldn't stay there again at that price.

   He's an OK guitarist, but nobody would pay to hear him play.

   Similardecent, adequate, passable, reasonable, satisfactory

   Oppositebad, poor, terrible

   Note

   As praise it is lukewarm, and a but often follows to set it against something better: the film was OK, but the book was far better. Before a noun it grades people and things alike, as in an OK guitarist or an OK family.

4. 4
   interjection

   Used at the start of a sentence to draw attention to what is about to be said and mark it as important.

   OK, here's the plan: everyone grabs a bucket and starts at the back of the house.

   OK, listen carefully, because I'm only going to explain this once.

   Similarnow

5. 5
   feeling fineadjective

   In good health or in a good state of mind.

   The driver was shaken after the crash but otherwise OK.

   It took her months to get over the divorce, but she's OK now.

   Similarfine, well, unhurt

   Oppositeunwell, hurt

   Note

   Are you OK? asks about body and mind at once, which makes it the natural question after a fall, a shock or bad news. The word is also spelled out as okay, as in a French postal service whose workers visit elderly subscribers to make sure they are okay. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

   • The French postal service La Poste offers paid visits by postal workers to elderly people to check on their well-being. aide.laposte.fr
6. 6
   well enoughadverb

   Well enough; in a satisfactory way.

   The old laptop still runs OK if you don't open too many programs.

   She did OK on her driving test and passed on the first try.

   Similarfine, well, adequately, satisfactorily

   Oppositebadly, poorly

7. 7
   checking agreementinterjection

   Added at the end of a remark or request, with a rising tone, to seek the listener's agreement or confirm they understand.

   Don't touch the stove while it's still hot, OK?

   So we meet at the gate at six and drive up together, OK?

   Similarright

   Note

   A tag question that does the work of right? or all right?, set off by a comma and said with a rising tone. After a plan it invites agreement; after a warning or an order it expects compliance rather than discussion, which is why it suits parents and instructors. Said to an adult who did not need reminding, it can sound condescending.

8. 8
   go-aheadnoun

   Approval or acceptance, especially as the signal that something may go ahead.

   The landlord finally gave us the OK to paint the kitchen.

   Construction is on hold until the project gets the OK from state regulators.

   Similargo-ahead, approval, permission, consent

   Note

   The most widely accepted story makes the word a newspaper joke: oll korrect, a comic spelling of all correct, printed in The Boston Morning Post in 1839 amid a fad for fanciful abbreviations, though the origin is still disputed. As a noun it usually comes with the, as in get the OK or give the OK, and its plural is OKs or OK's. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

   • The most widely accepted etymology derives OK from oll korrect, a comic misspelling of all correct. en.wiktionary.org
   • OK appeared in The Boston Morning Post in 1839. en.wikipedia.org
   • The proposed origin belongs to a fad for fanciful abbreviations. en.wikipedia.org
   • The origin remains disputed. en.wiktionary.org
9. 9
   confirm (computer)interjection

   Used to close a dialog box or confirm a prompt in a computer program.

   When the security warning appears, click OK to continue the installation.

   Choose a file name, then press OK and the document saves.

   Note

   Its usual partner on screen is Cancel: OK accepts what the box proposes and closes it, while Cancel closes it and leaves everything as it was. In many programs the Enter key does the same as clicking OK, and the verbs that go with the button are click, press and choose. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

   • OK and Cancel are a standard pair of dialog-box buttons. learn.microsoft.com
   • OK applies the selected values or performs the task and closes the dialog box. learn.microsoft.com
   • Enter can activate OK when OK is the default button. learn.microsoft.com
10. 10
    Oklahomaproper nounabbreviation

    Abbreviation of Oklahoma, a state of the United States.

    Ship the order to 1450 Elm Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74120.

    The return address read Stillwater, OK, but the postmark was from Kansas.

    Note

    The two capitals belong to mailing addresses, where they follow the city and come before the ZIP code, with no period: Tulsa, OK 74120. In running prose the full name Oklahoma reads better, partly because the same letters spell the everyday OK. Source

    Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

    • Oklahoma's postal abbreviation is OK, with two capital letters and no period. pe.usps.com
    • The state abbreviation follows the city and precedes the ZIP code. secure.ssa.gov
    • 74120 is a ZIP code used in Tulsa, Oklahoma. metrolinkok.org

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