unofficial

adjective

un·​of·​fi·​cial ˌən-ə-ˈfi-shəl 

 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

Bush, 6-4 and 220 pounds, took an unofficial visit to Arkansas on March 15 and an official visit in June. —Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025

Beshear is on the unofficial short list of 2028 presidential candidates. —Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Oct. 2025

Nine wins felt like an unofficial cutoff for the CFP selection committee last year, but remember, if Clemson hadn’t won the ACC championship to steal a bid, Alabama would have gotten in at 9-3 over 10-2 Miami, 10-2 BYU and 10-3 Iowa State. —Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025

The young Irwin is no doubt his dad’s mini-me, long an unofficial spokesperson for his beloved home. —Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unofficial

• artificial
• beneficial
• cicatricial
• interstitial
• nonjudicial
• nonofficial
• prejudicial
• sacrificial
• superficial
• extrajudicial
• semiofficial
• initial

Medical Definition

unofficial

adjective

un·​of·​fi·​cial ˌən-ə-ˈfish-əl 

: not official

specifically : of, relating to, or being a drug not described in the United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary compare nonofficial, official