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officialese

[uh-fish-uh-leez, -lees]
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noun
  1. a style of language used in some official statements, often criticized for its use of polysyllabic jargon and obscure, pretentiously wordy phrasing.
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Origin of officialese

First recorded in 1880–85; official + -ese
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

diffusionredundancygarrulitydiffusenessverbositycircumlocutionfecundityverbiageloquacityprolixitypleonasmofficialesetautologyperiphrasislogorrhealoquaciousnessverbalityverbigeration
British Dictionary definitions for officialese

officialese

noun
  1. language characteristic of official documents, esp when verbose or pedantic
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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

Word Origin and History for officialese

n.

"language of officialdom," 1881, from official + -ese.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper