# okay

/ˌoʊˈkeɪ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/okay
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. satisfactory

adjective · CEFR A2 · Informal

good enough, but not excellent.

For teachers: satisfactory or acceptable in quality, though not necessarily exceptional.

- The food at the new café was okay, but the service was slow.
- While the initial draft was okay, the editor felt it required more rigorous analysis to meet the journal's publication standards.

### 2. well or safe

adjective · CEFR A2 · Informal

feeling well, healthy, or not hurt.

For teachers: in a satisfactory physical or mental state; unharmed.

- Are you okay after that fall, or do you need to sit down?
- The paramedics confirmed that the driver was okay, though they recommended a follow-up appointment to rule out a concussion.

### 3. adequately

adverb · CEFR A2 · Informal

in a way that is good enough.

For teachers: in a satisfactory or adequate manner.

- He speaks French okay, so he can order food and ask for directions.
- The system performed okay during the stress test, although it struggled slightly when the number of concurrent users peaked.

### 4. agreement

interjection · CEFR A2 · Informal

used to show that you agree or that you understand.

For teachers: used to express agreement, concurrence, or understanding of a statement.

- Okay, I will meet you at the station at six o'clock.
- Okay, let's proceed with the original plan since the alternative seems too risky for the current budget.

### 5. to approve

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to give permission for something to happen.

For teachers: to give official approval or permission for a plan or request.

- The manager finally okayed the budget for our summer project.
- The board of directors okayed the merger after several weeks of intense negotiations regarding the new company's leadership structure.

### 6. approval

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

permission to do something.

For teachers: an act of approval or permission.

- We are just waiting for the boss to give us the okay.
- Once we receive the final okay from the legal department, we can begin distributing the marketing materials to our regional partners.

## Examples

- We are just waiting for the manager's okay.
- The legal department gave the final okay to sign the contract after reviewing the latest changes.
- Securing the director's okay was the final hurdle before the production team could begin scouting locations for the upcoming documentary.

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