semiofficial

American  

[sem-ee-uh-fish-uhl, sem-ahy-] / ˌsɛm i əˈfɪʃ əl, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

adjective

1. having some degree of official authority.

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Other Word Forms

• semiofficially adverb

Etymology

Origin of semiofficial

First recorded in 1800–10; semi- + official

Example Sentences

Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim News Agency published a list of “Iran’s new targets” in mid-March, which included specific operating facilities owned by companies like IBM and Palantir.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

When it folded, a report in the semiofficial Tasnim news agency, citing a top central bank official, said that more than 90% of the bank’s resources were tied up in projects under its own management.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

Video broadcast by the semiofficial Tasnim News Agency depicted burning buildings and scenes of destruction that were said to have been perpetrated by “terrorists.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026

Some people held photographs of Mr. Raisi; the semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported that the country’s interior minister and acting president had been spotted in the crowd.

From New York Times • May 21, 2024

That tolerance became semiofficial policy in 2000, when North Korea promised leniency to those who had fled the country in search of food.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden