# unofficially

/ənəˈfɪʃəɫi/ (US) · /ʌnəfˈɪʃəlˌi/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adverb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unofficially
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.