of or relating to an office or position of duty, trust, or authority.
official powers.
authorized or issued authoritatively.
an official report.
holding office.
appointed or authorized to act in a designated capacity.
an official representative.
(of an activity or event) intended for the notice of the public and performed or held on behalf of officials or of an organization; formal.
the official opening of a store.
Pharmacology. noting drugs or drug preparations that are recognized by and that conform to the standards of the United States Pharmacopeia or the National Formulary.
of or relating to an office, its administration, or its duration
sanctioned by, recognized by, or derived from authority
an official statement
appointed by authority, esp for some special duty
having a formal ceremonial character
an official dinner
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Late Latin officiālis “of duty,” equivalent to Latin offici(um) “service, duty” + -ālis adjective suffix; see origin at office, -al 1
Official is the real deal. If you want the latest news from Graceland, check the official Elvis Presley website. But you’ll have to look elsewhere to find the unofficial, unapproved, and highly unlikely scoop on Elvis sightings. If something is official, it's authorized and approved by somebody. If Gatorade is the official drink of the Olympics, somebody with authority has signed some papers and a deal has been made. When you're playing soccer or other sports, the official is the person who makes the calls; he referees (or officiates) the game.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A US official told the BBC that Kenya was selected due to "proximity, airports in the region having limited capability, and to ensure Americans can be treated in a timely manner".
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
And the team’s official World Cup photo features the players dressed as Nordic warriors, weapons in hand, posed before a scenic fjord with long boats in the background.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
In the decade preceding Xi, he noted, there was perhaps one such case—and even then, the official wasn’t imprisoned, but was merely stripped of privileges.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
One rescuer told reporters the effort was now one of recovery rather than rescue, though a more senior official later insisted that a formal decision had yet to be made.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
“Ed—” I started, and then realized that he was probably supposed to call me by my last name, or something else official.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
