official 1 of 2

noun

ə-ˈfi-shəl How to pronounce official (audio)
Definition of officialnext
as in officer
a person who holds a public office some of our best public officials do their jobs quietly and are never in the news

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official

2 of 2

adjective

as in authorized
ordered or allowed by those in authority the official languages for those Olympic Games were French and English

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of official
Noun
As part of the probe, the staff members lost their security clearances and access to their work devices, which is common practice in internal probes, the officials said. — Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 At least 14 babies at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences died in a nursery fire Wednesday, while one infant was rescued, according to hospital officials. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Adjective
These can be weeks before the official tuition due date, to make sure funds arrive in time. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 Ahead of this year’s World Cup, ADI PredictStreet signed a multiyear agreement to become the tournament’s first official prediction-market partner. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for official
Recent Examples of Synonyms for official
  1. officer
  2. authorized
Noun
  • The department said officers found a male victim and started life-saving measures until Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue arrived.
    — Matthew Ablon, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The guillotine was in the bed of a pickup truck spotted near the Capitol and the Supreme Court, where, officers said, it was illegally parked.
    — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of officer
Adjective
  • According to school officials, anyone picking up a student was asked to bring a photo ID and be listed as an authorized contact in Teams/Parent Self Serve.
    — Doug Myers, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The judges’ ruling also said a political party cannot be an authorized committee for a single candidate because each party supports multiple candidates.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of authorized

Browse Nearby Words

offices
official
officials
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Cite this Entry

“Official.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/official. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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