# OK

Pronunciation: say "oh-KAY" US /ˌoʊˈkeɪ/, UK /ˌəʊˈkeɪ/

## Adjective

1. Acceptable or allowed; also, of a person, satisfied with or willing to accept something.
   - Simple: Allowed or acceptable, or having no objection to something.
   - _Is it OK to park here overnight, or will I get a ticket?_
   - _Wearing jeans to the office is OK on Fridays._
3. Satisfactory or reasonably good, but not exceptional.
   - Simple: Good enough, but not great.
   - _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._
5. In good health or in a good state of mind.
   - Simple: Healthy, or feeling fine and not upset.
   - _The driver was shaken after the crash but otherwise OK._
   - _It took her months to get over the divorce, but she's OK now._

## Interjection

2. Used to show that you have understood or accept what was said, sometimes sarcastically to show disbelief.
   - Simple: Used to show that you understand or agree, sometimes in a joking way when you do not believe it.
   - _"Your table will be ready in ten minutes." "OK, we'll wait at the bar."_
   - _OK, OK, I'll turn the music down._
4. Used at the start of a sentence to draw attention to what is about to be said and mark it as important.
   - Simple: Said at the start of a sentence to make people listen to what comes next.
   - _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._
7. Added at the end of a remark or request, with a rising tone, to seek the listener's agreement or confirm they understand.
   - Simple: Said as a question at the end of something you say or ask, to check that the other person understands or agrees.
   - _Don't touch the stove while it's still hot, OK?_
   - _So we meet at the gate at six and drive up together, OK?_
9. Used to close a dialog box or confirm a prompt in a computer program.
   - Simple: Clicked or chosen on a computer to close a message box or say yes to a question.
   - _When the security warning appears, click OK to continue the installation._
   - _Choose a file name, then press OK and the document saves._
12. Used to break in on a speaker, as a request that they stop and let you take your turn.
   - Simple: Said when you break in while someone is talking, to ask them to let you speak.
   - _"And another thing, you never even called to say you'd be late, and..." "OK, OK, can I explain?"_
   - _"So the third-quarter numbers show that..." "OK, sorry, before you go on, which numbers are these?"_

## Adverb

6. Well enough; in a satisfactory way.
   - Simple: In a way that is good enough.
   - _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._

## Noun

8. Approval or acceptance, especially as the signal that something may go ahead.
   - Simple: A yes from someone that shows they approve or agree.
   - _The landlord finally gave us the OK to paint the kitchen._
   - _Construction is on hold until the project gets the OK from state regulators._
13. Karaoke, the pastime of singing popular songs over recorded backing music. *(Hong Kong)*
   - Simple: Karaoke, where people take turns singing along to recorded music.
   - _We booked a private room for OK in Mong Kok and sang Cantopop all night._
   - _Her birthday plan is simple: hotpot first, then OK with the whole class._

## Proper noun

10. Abbreviation of Oklahoma, a state of the United States. — Abbreviation of Oklahoma: a state of the United States.
   - Simple: Abbreviation of Oklahoma. Used for the state in mailing addresses.
   - _Ship the order to 1450 Elm Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74120._
   - _The return address read Stillwater, OK, but the postmark was from Kansas._

## Verb

11. To approve, accept, or confirm something, including by activating a computer button marked OK.
   - Simple: To approve or accept something, or confirm it by pressing an OK button.
   - _Enter your new password twice and OK the dialog box._
   - _Once you've OKed the changes, the program restarts automatically._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–9, 11–12** — Its origin is disputed. The most widely accepted explanation is that it abbreviates oll korrect, a comic spelling of all correct, first printed in The Boston Morning Post on March 23, 1839, during a US fad for such abbreviations, and made popular by Martin Van Buren's 1840 presidential campaign, as he was nicknamed Old Kinderhook; another theory traces it to Choctaw oke, okeh ("it is so").
**Meaning 13** — Possibly a shortening of Chinese 卡拉OK.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/ok (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).