officialdom

noun

of·​fi·​cial·​dom ə-ˈfi-shəl-dəm 

ō-

: officials as a class

Examples of officialdom in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the absence of a good officialdom that can help children, Hjorth offers a good witch who can hold them. —Elaine Blair, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026

In the summer of 1943, less than a year after Wise’s press conference, a member of the Polish resistance named Jan Karski came to Washington to give the still evidently unbelieving American officialdom another report on the Holocaust, then in its peak period of factory killing. —Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026

Thus California officialdom claims that predictions of the state’s impending collapse are false, while its critics say California is still in decline. —Dan Walters, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026

But the Trump administration’s formulation – casting Europe as an anti-democratic obstacle to stable relations with Russia – has been a godsend for Russian officialdom. —Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 9 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

official entry 1 + -dom

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

officialdom

noun

of·​fi·​cial·​dom ə-ˈfish-əl-dəm 

: officials as a class