unofficial

adjective

un·​of·​fi·​cial ˌən-ə-ˈfi-shəl How to pronounce unofficial (audio)
also -ō-
: not authorized or acknowledged by a government, group, class, or society : not official
unofficial results
an unofficial policy
unofficially adverb

Examples of unofficial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The school was opened in part through a $700,000 grant from the Department of Defense, according to John Karyan, a math professor at Lindsey who also acts as the school’s unofficial historian. Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025 In Los Angeles’ hotel bars — many of which have achieved legendary status as the city’s unofficial industry boardrooms for deal-making, negotiating and handshaking — this combo thrives. Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025 November 11, 2025 Chinese consumers were once flooded with enthusiasm over Valentine’s Day, the unofficial Cyber-Valentine’s Day (520) and tradition-rich Qixi. Yiling Pan, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2025 After the modems were shut off in 2021, Forlini said, each community had to bring in the memory sticks in the tabulators to the county elections department for uploading, which brought delays in reporting unofficial results. Christina Hall, Freep.com, 8 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unofficial

Word History

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unofficial was in 1784

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unofficial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unofficial. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.

Medical Definition

unofficial

adjective
un·​of·​fi·​cial ˌən-ə-ˈfish-əl How to pronounce unofficial (audio)
: not official
specifically : of, relating to, or being a drug not described in the United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary compare nonofficial, official

More from Merriam-Webster on unofficial

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