official

[ uh-fish-uhl ]

noun

1. a person appointed or elected to an office or charged with certain duties.

adjective

1. of or relating to an office or position of duty, trust, or authority:

   official powers.

2. authorized or issued authoritatively:

   an official report.

3. holding office.
4. appointed or authorized to act in a designated capacity:

   an official representative.

5. (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.

6. 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

/ əˈfɪʃəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to one of the two factions of the IRA and Sinn Féin, created by a split in 1969. The Official movement subsequently renounced terrorism and entered constitutional politics in the Irish Republic as the Workers' Party (now the Democratic Left)

noun

1. a member of the Official IRA and Sinn Féin

official

²

/ əˈfɪʃəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to an office, its administration, or its duration
2. sanctioned by, recognized by, or derived from authority

   an official statement

3. appointed by authority, esp for some special duty
4. having a formal ceremonial character

   an official dinner

noun

1. a person who holds a position in an organization, government department, etc, esp a subordinate position

Other Words From

• of·ficial·ly adverb
• nonof·ficial adjective
• nonof·ficial·ly adverb
• preof·ficial adjective
• preof·ficial·ly adverb
• pseudo·of·ficial adjective noun
• pseudo·of·ficial·ly adverb
• quasi-of·ficial adjective
• quasi-of·ficial·ly adverb
• subof·ficial noun adjective
• subof·ficial·ly adverb
• under·of·ficial adjective
• unof·ficial adjective
• unof·ficial·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of official¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Late Latin officiālis “of duty,” equivalent to Latin offici(um) “service, duty” + -ālis adjective suffix; office, -al ¹

Example Sentences

University officials disputed the union’s allegations, saying in a statement that “we fundamentally disagree with AFSCME’s claims of bad faith bargaining and characterization of unacceptable bargaining proposals.”

From Los Angeles Times

He has also excluded the State Department and its officials from his calls with foreign leaders.

From Salon

Argentine officials determined that the singer died from multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding caused by the fall.

From Los Angeles Times

In a letter to city officials, the California Department of Housing & Community Development warned such additional restrictions could put the city out of compliance with state housing law.

From Los Angeles Times

Washington expects that the mines - that officials say will be delivered soon - would be used on Ukraine's territory, but away from densely-populated areas.

From BBC

Related Words

• administrator
• agent
• bureaucrat
• civil servant
• commissioner
• director
• executive
• leader
• manager
• minister
• officer
• representative
• secretary