Phrase guide

make it so

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To cause something to be the case, to cause something to happen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Riker: I suggest we beam a section aboard for analysis.
  • Picard: Make it so, Number One!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Originally an imperative phrase used by British naval officers as a command, dating from no later than the Napoleonic Wars, and perhaps earlier. Popularized as the catchphrase of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994).