official

English Online Dictionary. What means official‎? What does official mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English official, from Old French official, from Latin officiālis, from Latin officium (“duty, service”), by surface analysis, office +‎ -ial.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈfɪʃəl/
• Rhymes: -ɪʃəl

Adjective

official (comparative more official, superlative most official)

1. Of or pertaining to an office or public trust.

2. Derived from the proper office or officer, or from the proper authority; made or communicated by virtue of authority

3. Approved by authority; authorized.
   1. (Of a statement) Dubious but recognized by authorities as truth and/or canon.

4. (pharmaceutical) Sanctioned by the pharmacopoeia; appointed to be used in medicine; officinal.

5. Discharging an office or function.
6. Relating to an office; especially, to a subordinate executive officer or attendant.
7. Relating to an ecclesiastical judge appointed by a bishop, chapter, archdeacon, etc., with charge of the spiritual jurisdiction.
8. (informal) True, real, beyond doubt.

9. (pharmacology) Listed in a national pharmacopeia.

Antonyms

• unofficial

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

official (plural officials)

1. An office holder, a person holding an official position in government, sports, or other organization.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:official

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• “official”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “official”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• officiale, offycyal, offyciall, officiall, offecialle

Etymology

From Old French official, from Latin officiālis; equivalent to office +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔfisiˈaːl/, /ɔˈfisial/

Noun

official (plural officials)

1. An underling of a member of the clergy, often heading a clerical court.
2. A hireling or subordinate; one employed to serve, especially at an estate.

Descendants

• English: official
• Scots: offeecial

References

• “officiāl, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-03-20.

Adjective

official (plural and weak singular officiale)

1. (of body parts) Functional; serving a purpose.
2. (rare) Requisite or mandatory for a task.

Descendants

• English: official
• Scots: offeecial

References

• “officiāl, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-03-20.

Old French

Alternative forms

• officiel

Noun

official oblique singular, m (oblique plural officiaus or officiax or officials, nominative singular officiaus or officiax or officials, nominative plural official)

1. court official
2. chamber pot

Adjective

official m (oblique and nominative feminine singular officiale)

1. official; certified or permitted by an authoritative source

Descendants

• → Middle English: official, officiale, offycyal, offyciall, officiall, offecialle
  • English: official
  • Scots: offeecial
• French: officiel

Portuguese

Adjective

official m or f (plural officiaes)

1. Pre-reform spelling (used until 1943 in Brazil and 1911 in Portugal) of oficial.

Noun

official m or f by sense (plural officiaes)

1. Pre-reform spelling (used until 1943 in Brazil and 1911 in Portugal) of oficial.