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.
Crude imports plunged more than 40% in June from a year earlier, according to official data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The OEC would advise the justices on recusal issues, gifts and financial disclosures, and unauthorized disclosure of official court documents, like the Dobbs leak.
From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026
"We are working on an official programme," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Since its official debut in 2011, Letterboxd has amassed a whopping 26 million users.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
“It’s an official document. Straight from the land rush office.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Official data released this week showed consumer inflation at 3.5 percent in June, cooling from May's reading on lower energy prices amid hopes of a US-Iran deal.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Official figures from NHS England suggest a little over half of 54-year-olds completed at-home testing kits last year, compared to 74% of those aged 70 to 74.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Official figures indicate that nearly 6,500 people have been rescued, many by volunteer teams.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
Official statistics face trade-offs between timeliness and accuracy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Offstage, she watched them perform their elaborate Official Greeting.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
The Fed’s beige book is a collection of anecdotes from the central bank’s contacts across the country and is designed to give officials a sense of conditions on the ground before they meet.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
While officials say he is leaning toward expanded operations, he could change his mind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
They are usually staffed by lifelong public servants who, in an ideal world, are focused solely on making sure government officials properly use their taxpayer-funded budgets and legal authority.
From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026
The heat in Ontario is expected to ease by the weekend, but officials have warned of persistent risk from wildfires through the remaining summer months.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
He had come away from Vietnam sick to death of being lied to by American officials.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
