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official

[uh-fish-uhl]

Example Sentences Origin

noun

a person appointed or elected to an office or charged with certain duties.

adjective

of or pertaining to an office or position of duty, trust, or authority: official powers.

authorized or issued authoritatively: an official report.

holding office.

appointed or authorized to act in a designated capacity: an official representative.

(of an activity or event) intended for the notice of the public and performed or held on behalf of officials or of an organization; formal: the official opening of a store.

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Pharmacology. noting drugs or drug preparations that are recognized by and that conform to the standards of the United States Pharmacopeia or the National Formulary.

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Official is always a great word to know.

So is quincunx. Does it mean:

a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.

an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.

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Origin:
1300–50; Middle English < Late Latin officiālis of duty, equivalent to Latin offici(um) office + -ālis -al¹

Related forms

of·fi·cial·ly, adverb

non·of·fi·cial, adjective

non·of·fi·cial·ly, adverb

pre·of·fi·cial, adjective

pre·of·fi·cial·ly, adverb

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pseu·do·of·fi·cial, adjective, noun

pseu·do·of·fi·cial·ly, adverb

qua·si-of·fi·cial, adjective

qua·si-of·fi·cial·ly, adverb

sub·of·fi·cial, noun, adjective

sub·of·fi·cial·ly, adverb

un·der·of·fi·cial, adjective

un·of·fi·cial, adjective

un·of·fi·cial·ly, adverb

COLLAPSE

Can be confused: official, officious.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To official

Example Sentences

Even so, it can take a full week to produce the vetted and official offer letter for signing.

Official newspapers were probably glad not to have to second-guess censors' concerns about that kind of imagery.

Astronomers might think they have it tough waiting for the ultimate validation of discoveries: an official name.

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Even so, it can take a full week to produce the vetted and official offer letter for signing.

Official newspapers were probably glad not to have to second-guess censors' concerns about that kind of imagery.

Astronomers might think they have it tough waiting for the ultimate validation of discoveries: an official name.

Imagine you are a government official with confidential messages to send.

The official flatware, ashtrays and such will probably appeal to antiques dealers.

Bend's new lodge bills itself as the official after-ski pub.

The journey to gain official status can be a long trip.

Neither thinks that official debt figures mean all that much.

Pluto is no longer a planet, according to a new official definition.

The railway's official hotel, walking distance to downtown.

No pricing details have been offered for the game, nor an official release date.

First, she was speaking personally and was not outlining any official position.

Smith declined to identify the other nations involved in the official protest, saying it was up to them to identify themselves.

Yet a significant number of people believe that the naming of a star is an official activity.

All the information prospective gamers might need can be found at the game's official site.

The return of an official who was banished may signal a renewed openness to economic reforms.

Official transcripts will only be required at the time of hire.

Punishment happens when spoils aren't shared, or an official steps on to somebody else's turf.

The official rank of each person determines the size of the houses".

Now there's no official study backing that statement, so you're.

Fans are invited to sign up for additional news at our official website:.

At the time, the official lines were not all that clear for communication.

His death, however, was marked by a state funeral and seven days of official mourning.

The official reason is that it's a fascinating biologically derived material that isn't biodegradable.

The official said all of the foreign students decided to remain on campus.

But whatever the official date, the work of these four laser pioneers sparked a technological revolution.

Woodbury didn't even know that the federal government had issued official stamps.

They find ways to achieve sustainability without the official stamp.

Raising the official retirement age is only part of the solution, for many workers retire before the official age.

In many places, the person tasked with making the official ruling on how people die isn't a doctor at all.

Though there is no official betting, millions of lire change hands.

Official transcripts are required at time of appointment.

The rank-and-file of private armies are often members of official police or military auxiliary forces.

The official line, however, is that the seafood is safe for human consumption.

He gave the executive order that slavery was no longer official and people had to compensate slaves for their labor.

Official transcripts will be required of successful candidate.

Putting off bond repayments for a few years would mean that the official rescue funds would last longer.

Sinha, the ministry official in charge of the project.

The official separation had to be part of the new government.

Go to the official site eg wwwwindowstatetxus/up/ for the state of texas.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

official (əˈfɪʃəl)

—*adj*
1.	of or relating to an office, its administration, or its duration
2.	sanctioned by, recognized by, or derived from authority: an official statement
3.	appointed by authority, esp for some special duty
4.	having a formal ceremonial character: an official dinner

—n
5.	a person who holds a position in an organization, government department, etc, esp a subordinate position

Official (əˈfɪʃəl)

—*adj*
1.	of or relating to one of the two factions of the IRA and Sinn Féin, created by a split in 1969. The Official movement subsequently renounced terrorism and entered constitutional politics in the Irish Republic as the Workers' Party (now the Democratic Left)

—n
2.	a member of the Official IRA and Sinn Féin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

official

1314, from O.Fr. official (12c.), from L. officialis "attendant to a magistrate, public official," noun use of officialis (adj.) "of or belonging to duty, service, or office," from officium (see office). Meaning "person in charge of some public work or duty" first recorded

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1555. The adj. is first attested 1533, from O.Fr. oficial, from L. officialis. Officialese "language of officialdom" first recorded 1884.

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

official of·fi·cial (ə-fĭsh'əl)
adj.
Authorized by or contained in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia or National Formulary. Used of drugs.

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"It has always been thought perfectly womanly to be a scrub- woman in the Legislature and to take care of the spittoons; that is entirely within the charmed circle of woman's sphere; but for women to occupy any of those official seats would be degrading."

-Susan B. Anthony

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