Word
official
Phoneticsof·fi·cial, stress on the second syllable
US/əˈfɪʃəɫ/
UK/əfˈɪʃəl/
Definitions
01a person in authority
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a person who has a position of responsibility in an organisation, like the government or a sports club.
n. a person holding a position of authority or responsibility within a government, institution, or sports body.
“The government official explained the new rules to the reporters.”
“A senior official from the Ministry of Finance declined to comment on the proposed tax reforms until the final report was published.”
Synonyms
02formally approved
B1 · Intermediate
adj. authorised or approved by a person or group in power.
adj. authorised, sanctioned, or communicated by a proper authority.
“We are still waiting for an official statement from the company.”
“The department issued an official directive requiring all staff to undergo safety training before the end of the fiscal year.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03real or certain
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
adj. true and certain, often used when something was a secret before.
adj. verified as true or certain; often used to confirm a previously speculative fact.
“It is finally official: they are getting married in June.”
“The news became official this morning when the club announced the signing of the new striker on their website.”
Teaching tip
In informal contexts, this sense is often used to mean 'it is now a public fact'.
04medical standards
C2 · Proficiency Medicine Technical
adj. describing a medicine that is listed in a country's book of approved drugs.
adj. recognised by or listed in a national pharmacopeia; meeting the legal standards for medicinal use.
“The pharmacist checked if the drug was listed in the official records.”
“The laboratory ensured that the chemical compound met all official standards before it was approved for clinical trials.”
Teaching tip
This is a highly specialised sense used in pharmacology and law; general learners will rarely encounter it.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “official” in context.
Verb
01. appoint an official
“The council decided to appoint an official to manage the new city park project.”
verb + noun
02. bribe an official
“The businessman was arrested for trying to bribe a customs official at the border.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. elected official
“Every elected official has a responsibility to listen to the people in their district.”
adj + noun
Noun
04. club official
“The club official checked everyone's membership cards at the entrance.”
noun + noun
05. official data
06. official figures
07. official confirmed
08. official sources
09. officials reported
10. official investigation
11. official records
12. officials encouraged
Confusables
Official describes something authorized or formal, while officious describes someone who is annoyingly bossy or meddlesome.
RememberOfficial = Office power. Officious = Nosy office-mate.
Real-World Examples
“The family of Renée Good, who was shot and killed by a federal immigration officer during the Trump administration’s enforcement surge in Minneapolis earlier this year, has sued the United States and officials for her death.” Etymology
From Middle English official, borrowed from Old French official, itself from Latin officiālis — the adjectival form of officium, meaning "duty" or "service". The modern English spelling arrived by surface analysis as office + -ial, a reanalysis that obscures the Latin genitive stem.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADVERB
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/official