ex officio
2 synonyms for ex officio, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adjective — Held or done by virtue of one's position, without needing a separate election or appointment.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
by right of office
How to use ex officio
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
ex officio member
ex officio chair
serve ex officio
ex officio and without vote
Used in governance, committees and law rather than everyday speech.
Etymology
Latin, literally 'from the office' or 'out of duty'.
Full origin of ex officio →Frequently asked questions
Do ex officio members have voting rights?
Usually yes, unless the organisation's rules say otherwise. Being ex officio describes how someone got the seat, not what powers it carries, so check the constitution or bylaws, which often specify 'ex officio without vote' when the seat is non-voting.
What is the difference between an ex officio member and an ordinary member?
An ordinary member is elected or appointed as an individual. An ex officio member sits because of another post they hold, so the seat passes automatically to whoever succeeds them in that post and is lost when they leave it.
How should 'ex officio' be written?
Two words, no hyphen, and now normally without italics in English text. Hyphenate only in an attributive compound where clarity demands it; most style guides simply write 'an ex officio member'.
