official
noun
a person appointed or elected to an office or charged with certain duties.
Jump To:
official
American
[uh-fish-uhl]
/ əˈfɪʃ əl /
noun
-
officials
plural
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.
official
1
British
/ əˈfɪʃəl /
adjective
-
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
noun
Official
2
British
/ əˈfɪʃəl /
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
subofficialnoun
-
nonofficialadjective
-
preofficialadjective
-
pseudoofficialadjective
-
quasi-officialadjective
-
underofficialadjective
-
unofficialadjective
-
nonofficiallyadverb
-
officiallyadverb
-
preofficiallyadverb
-
pseudoofficiallyadverb
-
quasi-officiallyadverb
-
subofficiallyadverb
-
unofficiallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
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, -al 1
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing official
Frindle
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Workshop 3, Part 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Early Civilizations of China, Lessons 4–6
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Cook’s personality was on full display when Dailey set up a technical demo for a senior government official involving the Vcommunicator, a late-2000s-era iPod Touch with specialized real-time translation software.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
"A whole system was built around this temple," which dates to between the first century BC and the second century AD, said Myriam Ziade, regional antiquities official with the culture ministry.
From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026
"Please be patient and wait for an official announcement," it said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
China’s official manufacturing PMI on Monday is expected to signal little improvement in August, remaining below the 50-line separating expansion from contraction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
She called hello to Emma a little while ago, but this is our first official meeting.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Official figures released this month estimate just 1,811 cuttlefish turned up to mate this year, down from 63,000 last year - a 97% drop.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Official figures show the UK's youth unemployment rate - which covers 16-to-24-year-olds - was 16.2% in the three months to March 2026.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Official German data released on Thursday showed a record 14,000 heat-related deaths this summer, adding to 4,500 in Spain, and 7,300 in France.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
That means Farage’s main contender is a comedian named Count Binface, as well as some 32 other candidates, including three from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party and a man calling himself Joseph 77.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
But there’s only my own voice on the message, followed by the beep, the Dominion Observatory Official Time Signal, ushering in the future.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Yet the deal angered many Venezuelans and sowed confusion among some oil executives, and even U.S. officials, over what was agreed and how the arrangement would work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Nearly 20 days in, the Timber fire continues to grow at a “rapid pace,” officials say.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
The groundstaff partially removed the covers while officials deliberated.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
According to the lawsuit, Pentagon officials demanded that publisher Lederer fire Slavin and Korte shortly after Stars and Stripes published its report on the Lincoln.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
Soviet officials based in New York traded jokes about the words that would appear on their tombstones.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" 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.
