official

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official

authorized, authoritative: We obtained official permission to enter the building.; one who administers the rules of a game: The official called for a time-out.

Not to be confused with:

officious – meddlesome; intrusive in an offensive manner: She’s an officious woman who makes a nuisance of herself.

of·fi·cial

(ə-fĭsh′əl)

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 US 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 officiālis, an attendant of an office, from officium, duty, service; see office.]

of·fi′cial·dom n.

of·fi′cial·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

official

(əˈfɪʃəl)

adj

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.

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

Official

(əˈfɪʃəl)

adj

(Government, Politics & Diplomacy) 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)

(Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a member of the Official IRA and Sinn Féin

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

of•fi•cial

(əˈfɪʃ əl)

n.

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

adj.

2. of or pertaining to an office or position of duty, trust, or authority: official powers.

3. appointed, authorized, or approved by a government or organization.

4. holding office.

5. public and formal; ceremonial.

[1300–50; Middle English < Late Latin officiālis of duty = Latin offici(um) office + -ālis -al¹]

of•fi′cial•ly, adv.

official

brevet - An official or authoritative message in writing.
provost - Etymologically, an official "placed before" or "put in charge" of others, from Latin praepositus, "superintendent."
bailiwick - Comes from bailie, "custody," and -wick, "function of an official" or "place of jurisdiction."
probate - The official proving of a will, from Latin probatum, "thing proved."

officer

– official – office worker

1. 'officer'

An officer is a person who has a position of authority in the armed forces.

...a retired army officer.

Officer is also used in the name of some people's jobs.

He was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer.

Suddenly the press officer came out and announced the result.

2. 'official'

An official is a person who holds a position of authority in an organization, especially a government department or a trade union.

Government officials have rejected calls for international intervention.

Management and union officials agreed to go to the Labour Relations Commission today.

3. 'office worker'

You do not use 'officer' or 'official' to refer to someone who works in an office. A person like this is called an office worker.

Office workers have been found to make more mistakes when distracted by traffic noise.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	official - a worker who holds or is invested with an office functionary 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 regulator - an official responsible for control and supervision of a particular activity or area of public interest returning officer - the official in each electorate who holds the election and returns the results sealer - an official who affixes a seal to a document searcher - a customs official whose job is to search baggage or goods or vehicles for contraband or dutiable items skilled worker, skilled workman, trained worker - a worker who has acquired special skills vote counter, teller - an official appointed to count the votes (especially in legislative assembly)
	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"

official

adjective

1. authorized, approved, formal, sanctioned, licensed, proper, endorsed, warranted, legitimate, authentic, ratified, certified, authoritative, accredited, bona fide, signed and sealed, ex officio, ex cathedra, straight from the horse's mouth (informal) An official announcement is expected later today.
authorized casual, informal, doubtful, dubious, unofficial, unreliable, unauthorized

2. formal, prescribed, bureaucratic, ceremonial, solemn, ritualistic his official duties

noun

1. officer, executive, agent, representative, bureaucrat, public servant, appointee, dignitary, functionary, office-holder, office bearer a senior UN official

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

official

adjective

Having or arising from authority:

authoritative, conclusive, sanctioned, standard.

noun

1. A person or group having the right and power to command, decide, rule, or judge:

authority.

Idioms: powers that be, the Man.

2. A person having administrative or managerial authority in an organization:

administrant, administrator, director, executive, manager, officer.

Informal: exec.

Translations

رَسْميرَسْمِيٌّمسئولمُوَظَّف حُكومي

oficiální

officiel=-embedsmandembedsmand

offiziell Beamte Beamter Amts...spruchreif

επίσημος αξιωματούχος

oficiala

oficial funcionario

virallinen

fonctionnaire officiel cadre

službeni

hivatalihivatalnokhivatalostisztviselő

embættis-embættismaîuropinber

ufficiale funzionario

職務上の

직무상의

officieel

offisiell tjeneste-embets-

urzędowy

oficial

официальный

oficiálny

uradenuradnik

officiell

อย่างเป็นทางการ

görevli memur resmî yetkili

chính thức

官方的职权上的公务上的官员

official

[əˈfɪʃəl]

A. ADJ → oficial
is that official? → ¿es oficial?, ¿se ha confirmado eso oficialmente?
it's official: working mothers are stressed → está confirmado: las madres que trabajan están estresadas
the phone was answered by an official sounding voice → una voz con un tono oficioso contestó el teléfono
official channels → conductos mpl or vías fpl oficiales
to do sth through (the) official channels → hacer algo por los conductos or vías oficiales
"for official use only" → sólo para uso oficial

B. N (in civil service) → funcionario/a m/f; (elsewhere) → oficial mf
government official → funcionario/a m/f del estado
trade union official → representante mf sindical

C. CPD official receiver N → síndico m
Official Secrets Act N (Brit) ley relativa a los secretos de Estado
official strike N → huelga f oficial

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

official

[əˈfɪʃ^əl]

adj

(gen) → officiel(le)
the Irish President's official residence → la résidence officielle du président irlandais
to be on an official visit → être en visite officielle

n [organization, government, council] → officiel m

official

adj → offiziell; report, duties, meeting, visit also → amtlich; (= formal) ceremony, style → förmlich, formell; (= authorized) biography → autorisiert; official language → Amtssprache f; official religion → Staatsreligion f; official statement → amtliche Verlautbarung; is that official? → ist das amtlich?; (= publicly announced) → ist das offiziell?; official residence (of mayor, governor) → Amtssitz m; official strike → offizieller Streik, gewerkschaftlich genehmigter Streik; acting in one’s official capacity → in Ausübung seiner Amtsgewalt; official uniform → Dienstuniform f

n (= railway official, post office official etc) → Beamte(r) m, → Beamtin f; (of club, at race-meeting) → Funktionär(in) m(f); government official → Regierungsbeamte(r) m → /-beamtin f; trade union official (Brit) → Gewerkschaftsfunktionär(in) m(f)

official

Official Receiver

n → Konkursverwalter(in) m(f)

official seal

n → Dienstsiegel nt, → Amtssiegel nt

official secret

n → Dienstgeheimnis nt, → Amtsgeheimnis nt; Official Secrets Act (Brit) → Gesetz nt → zur amtlichen Schweigepflicht

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

official

[əˈfɪʃ/əl]

1. adj (authorized) → ufficiale; (formal) → ufficiale, formale
to make official (position, agreement) → ufficializzare

2. n (civil servant) → funzionario, impiegato/a statale; (of club, organization) → dirigente m/f

official

(əˈfiʃəl) adjective

1. of or concerning a position of authority. official powers; official uniform.

2. done or confirmed by people in authority etc. the official result of the race.

noun

a person who holds a position of authority. a government official.

official

→ رَسْمِيٌّ oficiální officiel offiziell επίσημος oficial virallinen officiel službeni ufficiale 職務上の 직무상의 officieel offisiell urzędowy oficial официальный officiell อย่างเป็นทางการ yetkili chính thức 官方的

of·fi·cial

a. oficial, autorizado-a.

References in classic literature ?

True, he is only a subordinate official, and sometimes loves to rate and scold; yet why should he not do so--why should he not indulge in a little vituperation when he feels like it?

View in context

A STATE Official carrying off the Dome of the Capitol met the Ghost of his predecessor, who had come out of his political grave to warn him that God saw him.

View in context

Greatly to the scandal of this official's family, and against repeated remonstrances of the official himself, the people of the city persisted in using the beach for bathing.

View in context

An old gentleman wearing a star and another official, a German wearing a cross round his neck, approached the speaker.

View in context

Thus wholly and solely occupied in retaining his place, drawing his pay, and securing his pension, the government official thought everything permissible that conduced to these results.

View in context

'to let everyone see well-born children, whose father was an official, begging in the street.' She keeps beating the children and they are all crying.

View in context

The detective passed down the quay, and rapidly made his way to the consul's office, where he was at once admitted to the presence of that official.

View in context

At intervals the presidents of the five corps have a cold official intercourse with each other, but nothing further.

View in context

At this moment an official crossed over, and approaching Sancho threw over him a robe of black buckram painted all over with flames of fire, and taking off his cap put upon his head a mitre such as those undergoing the sentence of the Holy Office wear; and whispered in his ear that he must not open his lips, or they would put a gag upon him, or take his life.

View in context

No one knew better than Stepan Arkadyevitch how to hit on the exact line between freedom, simplicity, and official stiffness necessary for the agreeable conduct of business.

View in context

It lasted some little time, and was characterized (for silences have their character) by a sort of sadness imparted to it perhaps by the mild and thoughtful manner of the bearded official. Razumov learned later that he was the chief of a department in the General Secretariat, with a rank in the civil service equivalent to that of a colonel in the army.

View in context

If another Gunpowder Plot had been discovered half an hour before the lighting of the match, nobody would have been justified in saving the parliament until there had been half a score of boards, half a bushel of minutes, several sacks of official memoranda, and a family-vault full of ungrammatical correspondence, on the part of the Circumlocution Office.