official

Universal Words adjective, noun adjective 1 [onlybeforenoun] connected with the job of sb who is in a position of authority: official 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. 2 [usuallybeforenoun] agreed to, said, done, etc. by sb who is in a position of authority: an official announcement / decision / statement * according to official statistics / figures * 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. * I intend to lodge an official complaint (= to complain to sb in authority). * The news is not yet official. 3 [onlybeforenoun] that is told to the public but may not be true: I only knew the official version of events. * The official story has always been that they are just good friends. 4 [onlybeforenoun] formal and attended by people in authority: an official function / reception * The official opening is planned for October. OPPUNOFFICIAL noun (often in compounds) a person who is in a position of authority in a large organization: a bank / company / court / government official * a senior official in the State Department * Palace officials are refusing to comment on the royal divorce.