a person appointed or elected to an office or charged with certain duties.
–adjective
2.
of or pertaining to an office or position of duty, trust, or authority: official powers.
3.
authorized or issued authoritatively: an official report.
4.
holding office.
5.
appointed or authorized to act in a designated capacity: an official representative.
6.
(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.
7.
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.
[Origin: 1300–50; ME < LL officiālis of duty, equiv. to L offici(um) office+ -ālis-al1]
Of or relating to an office or a post of authority: official duties.
Authorized by a proper authority; authoritative: official permission.
Holding office or serving in a public capacity: an official representative.
Characteristic of or befitting a person of authority; formal: an official banquet.
Authorized by or contained in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia or National Formulary. Used of drugs.
n.
One who holds an office or position, especially one who acts in a subordinate capacity for an institution such as a corporation or governmental agency.
Sports A referee or umpire.
[From Middle English, ecclesiastical officer, from Old French, from Latin officiālis, an attendant of an office, from officium, duty, service; see office.]
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 1555. The adj. is first attested 1533, from O.Fr. oficial, from L. officialis.Officialese "language of officialdom" first recorded 1884.
Of"fi*cer\, n. [F. officier. See Office, and cf. Official, n.]1. One who holds an office; a person lawfully invested with an office, whether civil, military, or ecclesiastical; as, a church officer; a police officer; a staff officer. "I am an officer of state." --Shak. 2. (U. S. Mil.) Specifically, a commissioned officer, in distinction from a warrant officer. Field officer, General officer, etc. See under Field, General. etc. Officer of the day (Mil.), the officer who, on a given day, has charge for that day of the quard, prisoners, and police of the post or camp. Officer of the deck, or Officer of the watch (Naut.), the officer temporarily in charge on the deck of a vessel, esp. a war vessel.
Of*fi"cial\, a. [L. officialis: cf. F. officiel. See Office, and cf. Official, n.]1. Of or pertaining to an office or public trust; as, official duties, or routine. That, in the official marks invested, you Anon do meet the senate. --Shak. 2. Derived from the proper office or officer, or from the proper authority; made or communicated by virtue of authority; as, an official statement or report. 3. (Pharm.) Approved by authority; sanctioned by the pharmacop[oe]ia; appointed to be used in medicine; as, an official drug or preparation. Cf. Officinal. 4. Discharging an office or function. [Obs.] The stomach and other parts official unto nutrition. --Sir T. Browne.
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