officialadjective
uk/əˈfɪʃ.əl/us/əˈfɪʃ.əl/C2 relating to a position of responsibility:
He visited China in his official capacity as America's trade representative.
Number Ten Downing Street is the British prime minister's official residence.
Opposite
unofficial
B2 agreed to or arranged by people in positions of authority:
the official photos of the president's tour of India
The Queen will attend the official opening of the theatre in June.
There is to be an official inquiry into the incident.
C2 If a piece of information is official, it has been announced publicly with authority:
Their engagement is now official.
Inflation has fallen below two percent, and that's official.
More examples
- Before buying a pram, make sure that it conforms to the official safety standards.
- The president's official visit marks the start of a more fraternal relationship between the two countries.
- The rebels regard the official parliament as illegitimate.
- Several eyewitnesses' accounts differed considerably from the official version of events.
- The remit of this official inquiry is to investigate the reasons for the accident.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Organizations - position & status
- a rung on/of the ladder idiom
- apparatchik
- associate
- back seat
- be a big fish in a small pond idiom
- betters 2
- brethren
- comrade
- echelon
- entry level
- entry-level
- equal
- fellow
- founder
- low-level
- position
- role
- senior
- standing
- subordinate
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Announcing, informing & stating
officialnoun [ C ]
uk/əˈfɪʃ.əl/us/əˈfɪʃ.əl/C2 a person who has a position of responsibility in an organization:
a government/trade-union/council official
More examples
- The whole system was corrupt - every official she approached wanted money before helping her.
- An official from the Department of Health will be inspecting the restaurant this afternoon.
- The customs official beckoned the woman to his counter.
- The information was given by a Vatican official.
- Senior government officials will be attending a meeting tomorrow.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
People in charge of or controlling other people
- administrator
- authority
- bureaucrat
- chairman
- chairperson
- giant
- Goliath
- guiding spirit
- headman
- helicopter parent
- hierarchy
- leader
- marshal
- on high idiom
- operator
- overlord
- paymaster
- pillar
- powerhouse
- your lord and master idiom
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