Word
unofficially
Phoneticsun·of·fi·cial·ly, stress on the third syllable
US/ənəˈfɪʃəɫi/
UK/ʌnəfˈɪʃəlˌi/
Definition
adv. without any official permission or without being made public. You use this when something is true or happening, but no one has officially announced it yet.
adv. without official recognition, authorization, or public announcement. Often used to describe a situation that is true in practice but not yet confirmed by an authority.
Examples
“The new manager is unofficially in charge today.”
“The two countries are unofficially working together on the peace treaty, though they have not signed any formal documents yet.”
“While the official results have not been released, the candidate is unofficially leading the polls by a significant margin, much to the excitement of her supporters.”
Examples
simple
“The new manager is unofficially in charge today.”
contextual
“The two countries are unofficially working together on the peace treaty, though they have not signed any formal documents yet.”
complex
“While the official results have not been released, the candidate is unofficially leading the polls by a significant margin, much to the excitement of her supporters.”
Real-World Examples
“Unofficially dubbed "the Asian Spring", the expanding influence of these movements has spread from Iran, Mongolia and the Maldives to the Philippines and Timor-Leste.” “However, unofficially, there is a player who has competed for 20 (!) more clubs than Abreu – Jefferson Louis recorded 51 clubs in a 28-year career.” Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- 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.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL 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: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/unofficially