THE FIRST WORD

ex officio

PRONUNCIATION:

(EKS uh-FISH-ee-oh) 

MEANING:

adverb, adjective: By virtue of one's official position. For example, the US Vice President is the ex officio president of the US Senate.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin ex officio, from ex- (out of, from) + officium (office, duty). Earliest documented use: 1532.

USAGE:

"The governor of New Jersey was an ex officio trustee of the University."
Joyce Carol Oates; Mudwoman; HarperCollins; 2012.