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Mais il ne faut pas porter des vêtements suggestifs pour gagner, quand même ? Je pense que ça me disqualifie d'office.

I’m trying to pin down the meaning of "d'office". Does it mean "automatically (as specified by the rules)", or is it more like "straight away / immediately"?

= "It wouldn’t do for me to wear some skimpy outfits to win, though, right? If I did, I would be disqualified (??? = d'office)."

In what other context, would you use "d'office"?

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    "D'office" = automatically, "d'emblée" = immediately
    – MorganFR
    Commented Nov 10, 2016 at 17:01
  • As for usage, "un juge lui a été commis d'office car il n'avait pas d'argent." It appears to be evident that it doesn't mean immediatly but automatically/by default. Sometimes the automatic thing coincidently also happens immediatly.
    – MorganFR
    Commented Nov 10, 2016 at 17:13

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You got the idea. Actually it mean both: automatically (by the rules) and straight away / immediatly. There is nothing to say, and no matter what happens around it, you won't be able to get back in the competition.
It emphasises the violent aspect of the disqualification (without negative connotation). To give a precise example about Judo, rules recently changed so one must not put his hands on his oppenent's pants. If so, he is "disqualifié d'office".

I think you may use "direct" or "directement" as équivalents as follows (from less formal to more formal):

Si tu fais mal à l’adversaire, tu es disqualifié direct.
Si tu fais mal à l’adversaire, tu es disqualifié d'office.
Si vous faites mal à l’adversaire, vous êtes directement disqualifiés.

An other context where you use "d'office" would be "un avocat commis d'office", where the law states that if you don't want to pay for a lawyer, the State will assign a free one to you. I don't see any other usage of "d'office"...

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    Which makes me wonder, by the way... Is the adverbial use of "direct" in place of "directement" a colloquial expression? As in "je préfère rentrer direct me coucher". Merci, Random.
    – Con-gras-tue-les-chiens
    Commented Nov 10, 2016 at 17:14
  • Yes, "direct" is informal when used in place of "directement". It's shorter so it has naturally replaced his longer counterpart in familiar conversations, I mean we're talking two syllables here !
    – Teleporting Goat
    Commented Nov 10, 2016 at 23:00
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    I'd add that "d'office" is the word of choice for contests, exams, interviews, etc. It has a sense of strictness and unforgiveness that really fits that sort of things.
    – Teleporting Goat
    Commented Nov 10, 2016 at 23:03
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d'office:

  • automatiquement
  • en vertu d'autorité
  • en vertu des obligations

A l'origine, il s'agissait d'une charge, d'où les sens précédents.

voir le CNRTL

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