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Definition of official adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

official

adjective
 
 
/əˈfɪʃl/
 
/əˈfɪʃl/
Idioms
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  1.  
     [usually before noun] agreed to, said, done, etc. by somebody who is in a position of authority
    • an official announcement/decision/statement
    • according to official figures/statistics
    • The news is not yet official.
    • the official biography of the President
    • An official inquiry has been launched into the cause of the accident.
    • The country's official language is Spanish.
    • The film's official website is also very informative.
    • I intend to lodge an official complaint (= to complain to somebody in authority).
    Extra Examples
    • The report revealed official corruption in relation to road building.
    • The official news agency reported an attack by rebel soldiers.
    • Greater vigilance at the official and unofficial points of entry into the country is required.
    • The network's official launch is scheduled for this month.
    • The research used material from official documents and newspaper reports.
    • The views expressed in this essay are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official government policy.
    • Rice prices are up by as much as 13 percent, according to official reports.
    • There have been rumours that he is resigning, and today he made it official.
  2.  
     [only before noun] connected with the job of somebody who is in a position of authority
    • official duties/responsibilities
    • the Prime Minister’s official residence
    • He attended in his official capacity as mayor.
    • This was her first official engagement.
    • He made an official visit to Tokyo in March.
    Extra Examples
    • He stepped into the waiting official car.
    • The minister was in Berlin on official business.
    • The Prime Minister's official spokesman rejected calls for an inquiry.
  3.  
     [only before noun] formal and attended by people in authority
    • an official function/reception
    • The official opening is planned for October.
  4.  
     [only before noun] that is told to the public but may not be true
    • I only knew the official version of events.
    • The official line is that the date for the election has not yet been decided.
    • The official story has always been that they are just good friends.
    5. opposite unofficial
    Word OriginMiddle English (originally as a noun): via Old French from Latin officialis, from officium ‘performance of a task’ (in medieval Latin also ‘office, divine service’), based on opus ‘work’ + facere ‘do’.
Idioms
it's official
  1. (informal, humorous) used to announce publicly something that you think is obvious or that everyone already knows
    • It's official: this is the worst zombie film ever.
See official in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee official in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: official

Nearby words

elaborate
adjective
 
 
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