OK
1 of 4adverb or adjective
ō-ˈkā 
in assenting or agreeing also ˈō-ˌkā
variants
or okay
or less commonly ok
: all right
OK, Doctor, I'll let you know—
John Hersey
John Hersey
variants
or okay
OK'd or okayed; OK'ing or okaying
Oklahoma
Synonyms
Adverb or adjective
- acceptably
- adequately
- all right
- alright
- creditably
- decently
- fine
- good
- middlingly
- nicely
- passably
- respectably
- satisfactorily
- serviceably
- so-so
- sufficiently
- tolerably
- well
Noun
Verb
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Cite this Entry
“OK.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/OK. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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Etymology
Adverb or adjective
an abbreviation of oll korrect, an altered form of all correct
Word Origin
In the late 1830s Boston newspapers were filled with abbreviations. Abbreviation was apparently the fashion at that time. Any phrase might be shortened. The fad even went so far as to produce abbreviations for intentional misspellings. Such popular expressions as N.G. (no go) and A.R. (all right) gave way to K.G. (know go) and O.W. (oll wright). The abbreviation O.K. stood for oll korrect, a deliberate misspelling of all correct. Several of these abbreviated misspellings became popular for a time, but O.K. was the only one to gain a lasting place in the language.
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