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officious - 4 dictionary results

of⋅fi⋅cious

  [uh-fish-uhs]
Use officious in a Sentence
–adjective
1. objectionably aggressive in offering one's unrequested and unwanted services, help, or advice; meddlesome: an officious person.
2. marked by or proceeding from such forwardness: officious interference.
3. Obsolete. ready to serve; obliging.
Origin:
1555–65; < L officiōsus obliging, dutiful, equiv. to offici(um) office + -ōsus -ous

Related forms:
of⋅fi⋅cious⋅ly, adverb
of⋅fi⋅cious⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. interfering, meddling.

Antonyms:
1. retiring.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To officious
of·fi·cious   (ə-fĭsh'əs)   
adj.  
  1. Marked by excessive eagerness in offering unwanted services or advice to others: an officious host; officious attention.
  2. Informal; unofficial.
  3. Archaic Eager to render services or help others.

[Latin officiōsus, obliging, dutiful, from officium, duty; see office.]
of·fi'cious·ly adv., of·fi'cious·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Officious

Of*fi"cious\, a. [L. officiosus: cf.F. officieux. See Office.]

1. Pertaining to, or being in accordance with, duty. [R.]

If there were any lie in the case, it could be no more than as officious and venial one. --Note on Gen. xxvii. (Douay version).

2. Disposed to serve; kind; obliging. [Archaic]

Yet not to earth are those bright luminaries Officious. --Milton.

They were tolerably well bred, very officious, humane, and hospitable. --Burke.

3. Importunately interposing services; intermeddling in affairs in which one has no concern; meddlesome.

You are too officious In her behalf that scorns your services. --Shak.

Syn: Impertinent; meddling. See Impertinent. -- Of*fi"cious*ly, adv. -- Of*fi"cious*ness, n.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : officious
Spanish: oficioso,
German: aufdringlich,
Japanese: おせっかいな
More Translations »

officious 
1565, "zealous, eager to serve," from L. officiosus "dutiful," from officium "duty, service" (see office). Sense of "meddlesome, doing more than is asked or required" had emerged by 1600 (in officiously). An officious lie (1577) is one told to do good to another person (from L. mendocium officiosum or Fr. mensonge officieux).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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