official
noun
a person appointed or elected to an office or charged with certain duties.
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official
American
[uh-fish-uhl]
/ əˈfɪʃ əl /
noun
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officials
plural
adjective
-
of or relating to an office or position of duty, trust, or authority.
official powers.
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authorized or issued authoritatively.
an official report.
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holding office.
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appointed or authorized to act in a designated capacity.
an official representative.
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(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.
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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
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appointed by authority, esp for some special duty
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having a formal ceremonial character
an official dinner
noun
Official
2
British
/ əˈfɪʃəl /
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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subofficialnoun
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nonofficialadjective
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preofficialadjective
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pseudoofficialadjective
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quasi-officialadjective
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underofficialadjective
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unofficialadjective
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nonofficiallyadverb
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officiallyadverb
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preofficiallyadverb
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pseudoofficiallyadverb
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quasi-officiallyadverb
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subofficiallyadverb
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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
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Workshop 3, Part 1
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Early Civilizations of China, Lessons 4–6
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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:
Rescuers were still combing the stricken area for victims, search and rescue official Fathur Rahman told AFP on Monday morning.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
A Palestinian official told the BBC Trump's son-in-law met a delegation led by Hamas's new leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
While such a pathway is not Iran’s official policy, it nonetheless seems like a plausible outcome.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
As residents, activists, farmers and journalists squeezed and jostled through the crowd, holding court in one corner was Budd-Falen, the high-ranking official with the Interior Department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
I tried to imply clandestine dealings with a high occupation official.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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
Official analysis released on Wednesday showed it could cost employers between £350m and £2.9bn, based on the eventual threshold of hours the policy impacts.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Official figures show that over 6,000 people died in the horrific earthquakes that struck Venezuela in June, but authorities are keeping their lips sealed about how many more are missing.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
Sobel, now chief economist at the independent Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum, walked me through why the yuan’s cheapness is baked into the structure of the Chinese economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
“Yo. Mr. Haazim Farooqi, if that’s really your name. Open up. Official business.”
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Club officials feel interest in him should be high.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Rescue officials have said there are no reports of people missing.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Government officials says the plan would "make bills fairer and more affordable while encouraging greater water efficiency".
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
It also provided the Yemeni militants with intelligence, target lists including Saudi ports and energy facilities, and advice on sheltering from Saudi retaliation, the officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
He told the German officials that he was an importer in America, hinting that Germany somehow benefited from his work.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
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.
