official

[ uh-fish-uhl ]

/ əˈfɪʃ əl /

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See synonyms for: official / officials / officially on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person appointed or elected to an office or charged with certain duties.

adjective

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.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of official

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, -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM official

of·fi·cial·ly, adverbnon·of·fi·cial, adjectivenon·of·fi·cial·ly, adverbpre·of·fi·cial, adjective

pre·of·fi·cial·ly, adverbpseu·do·of·fi·cial, adjective, nounpseu·do·of·fi·cial·ly, adverbqua·si-of·fi·cial, adjectivequa·si-of·fi·cial·ly, adverbsub·of·fi·cial, noun, adjectivesub·of·fi·cial·ly, adverbun·der·of·fi·cial, adjectiveun·of·fi·cial, adjectiveun·of·fi·cial·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH official

official , officious (see confusables note at officious)

Words nearby official

officer of the day, officer of the deck, officer of the guard, officer of the watch, office seeker, official, officialdom, officialese, official family, officialism, officialize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use official in a sentence

Biden also stressed the importance of Democrats winning back the Senate majority, the officials said.
Election live updates: Trump returns to Wisconsin; Biden to face live audience at town hall|Colby Itkowitz, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
Troye also praised a number of the administration’s top health officials.
Former Pence aide says she will vote for Biden because of Trump’s ‘flat out disregard for human life’ during pandemic|Josh Dawsey|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
Car camping and RVing might be the official vacation of the pandemic.
Three Family-Friendly Adventures to Try This Fall|Outside Editors|September 17, 2020|Outside Online
In one significant example from a decade ago, a $20 million federal settlement with Massey Energy revealed that West Virginia officials were not even reviewing disclosures that Massey had filed reporting thousands of water pollution violations.
This Billionaire Governor’s Coal Company Might Get a Big Break From His Own Regulators|by Ken Ward Jr.|September 17, 2020|ProPublica

Ostrowski, with the Defense Department, and officials from HHS spoke during a briefing Wednesday with reporters.
Top health official says states need about $6 billion from Congress to distribute coronavirus vaccine|Lena H. Sun|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
Whatever the FBI says, the truthers will create alternative hypotheses that try to challenge the ‘official story.’
Was Sony Hit With a Second Hack?|Shane Harris|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There is a long history of official anti-clericalism in Mexico, but the atmosphere in Tierra Caliente goes far beyond that.
Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder|Jason McGahan|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Apart from the video, the Saraya Al-Khorasani group has made no official declaration that it is linked to Taghavi.
What an Iranian Funeral Tells Us About the Wars in Iraq|IranWire|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She vowed to repay the money—no official word, however, on whether she ever did that.
Fergie Dives Into Prince Andrew’s Sex Scandal|Tom Sykes|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Boehner was unanimously selected by the conference as its official nominee for speaker in the coming Congress.
The YOLO Caucus' New Cry for Attention|Ben Jacobs|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
On the third day after the declaration of his recall, Ripperda took his official leave, and presented his son in his new office.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
I met him striding toward the building that seemed to be a clearing house for the official contingent.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
He not only repudiates the name “Jahveh,” but tells the official agents of Jahvism that their god is his devil.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
It was a time of day when Ki Pak was generally free from any official duty, and he was glad to devote a little time to his son.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
The chief official of the court is called a chancellor, the others vice chancellors.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles

British Dictionary definitions for official (1 of 2)

official

/ (əˈfɪʃəl) /

adjective

of or relating to an office, its administration, or its duration

sanctioned by, recognized by, or derived from authorityan official statement

appointed by authority, esp for some special duty

having a formal ceremonial characteran official dinner

noun

a person who holds a position in an organization, government department, etc, esp a subordinate position

British Dictionary definitions for official (2 of 2)

Official

/ (əˈfɪʃəl) /

adjective

of or relating to one of the two factions of the IRA and Sinn Féin, created by a split in 1969. The Official movement subsequently renounced terrorism and entered constitutional politics in the Irish Republic as the Workers' Party (now the Democratic Left)

noun

a member of the Official IRA and Sinn Féin

Compare Provisional

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

official

Origin of official

OTHER WORDS FROM official

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH official

Words nearby official

Words related to official

How to use official in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for official (1 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for official (2 of 2)