official

of·fi·cial (

-f

adj.

1. Of or relating to an office or a post of authority: official duties.

2. Authorized by a proper authority; authoritative: official permission.

3. Holding office or serving in a public capacity: an official representative.

4. Characteristic of or befitting a person of authority; formal: an official banquet.

5. Authorized by or contained in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia or National Formulary. Used of drugs.

1. One who holds an office or position, especially one who acts in a subordinate capacity for an institution such as a corporation or governmental agency.

2. Sports A referee or umpire.

[From Middle English, ecclesiastical officer, from Old French, from Latin officilis, an attendant of an office, from officium, duty, service; see office.]

of·ficial·dom n.

of·ficial·ly adv.

official

Adjective

1. of an office or position of authority: I'm not here in any official capacity

2. approved by or derived from authority: there has been no official announcement

3. formal or ceremonial: he was speaking at an official dinner in Warsaw

Noun

a person holding a position of authority

officially adv

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	official - a worker who holds or is invested with an office functionary apparatchik - a humorous but derogatory term for an official of a large organization (especially a political organization); "Democratic apparatchiks" appointee - an official who is appointed bailiff - an officer of the court who is employed to execute writs and processes and make arrests etc. beadle - a minor parish official who serves a ceremonial function administrative official, bureaucrat - an official of a bureaucracy caretaker - an official who performs the duties of an office temporarily; "he acted as a caretaker until a new president could be elected" censor - a person who is authorized to read publications or correspondence or to watch theatrical performances and suppress in whole or in part anything considered obscene or politically unacceptable census taker, enumerator - someone who collects census data by visiting individual homes church officer - a church official city father - an important municipal official civil servant - a public official who is a member of the civil service commissar, political commissar - an official of the Communist Party who was assigned to teach party principles to a military unit Comptroller General - a United States federal official who supervises expenditures and settles claims against the government Comptroller of the Currency - a United States federal official who regulates the national banks diplomat, diplomatist - an official engaged in international negotiations elected official - official who won the office in a free election equerry - an official charged with the care of the horses of princes or nobles fire marshall - an official who is responsible for the prevention and investigation of fires fire warden, forest fire fighter, ranger - an official who is responsible for managing and protecting an area of forest hearing examiner, hearing officer - an official appointed by a government agency to conduct an investigation or administrative hearing so that the agency can exercise its statutory powers holdover, hangover - an official who remains in office after his term incumbent, officeholder - the official who holds an office Inquisitor - an official of the ecclesiastical court of the Inquisition invalidator, voider, nullifier - an official who can invalidate or nullify; "my bank check was voided and I wanted to know who the invalidator was" judge, jurist, justice - a public official authorized to decide questions brought before a court of justice licenser - an official who can issue a license or give authoritative permission (especially one who licenses publications) macebearer, macer, mace - an official who carries a mace of office mandarin - any high government official or bureaucrat notary, notary public - someone legally empowered to witness signatures and certify a document's validity and to take depositions noticer - someone who gives formal notice officeholder, officer - someone who is appointed or elected to an office and who holds a position of trust; "he is an officer of the court"; "the club elected its officers for the coming year" federal agent, agent - any agent or representative of a federal agency or bureau provincial - (Roman Catholic Church) an official in charge of an ecclesiastical province acting under the superior general of a religious order; "the general of the Jesuits receives monthly reports from the provincials" postmaster general - the official in charge of the national postal service proconsul - an official in a modern colony who has considerable administrative power prosecuting attorney, prosecuting officer, prosecutor, public prosecutor - a government official who conducts criminal prosecutions on behalf of the state quaestor - any of several public officials of ancient Rome (usually in charge of finance and administration) recruiter - an official who enlists personnel for military service record-keeper, recorder, registrar - someone responsible for keeping records
	2.	official - someone who administers the rules of a game or sport; "the golfer asked for an official who could give him a ruling" adjudicator - a person who studies and settles conflicts and disputes football official - an official who enforces the rules at a football game linesman - official (in tennis, soccer, football, etc.) who assists the referee in some way (especially by watching for out of bounds or offside) ref, referee - (sports) the chief official (as in boxing or American football) who is expected to ensure fair play scorekeeper, scorer - an official who records the score during the progress of a game dispatcher, starter - the official who signals the beginning of a race or competition timekeeper, timer - (sports) an official who keeps track of the time elapsed ump, umpire - an official at a baseball game
Adj.	1.	official - having official authority or sanction; "official permission"; "an official representative" authorised, authorized - endowed with authority unofficial - not having official authority or sanction; "a sort of unofficial mayor"; "an unofficial estimate"; "he participated in an unofficial capacity"
	2.	official - of or relating to an office; "official privileges"
	3.	official - verified officially; "the election returns are now official" confirmed - having been established or made firm or received the rite of confirmation; "confirmed reservations"; "received confirmed reports of casualties"; "a confirmed Catholic"
	4.	official - conforming to set usage, procedure, or discipline; "in prescribed order" prescribed regular - in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle; "his regular calls on his customers"; "regular meals"; "regular duties"
	5.	official - (of a church) given official status as a national or state institution church service, church - a service conducted in a house of worship; "don't be late for church" constituted, established - brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established; "the established social order"; "distrust the constituted authority"; "a team established as a member of a major league"; "enjoyed his prestige as an established writer"; "an established precedent"; "the established Church"