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

With the unofficial start of summer just weeks away, consider this your sign to refresh your swimwear lineup with chic bikinis that’ll carry you from Memorial to Labor Day. —Mecca Pryor, Essence, 14 May 2026

The unofficial Birthday Cake of the Test Kitchen comes to Bake Club this month as Shilpa Uskokovic shares her recipe for Strawberry Roll Cake. —Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 May 2026

But Marty Supreme actor Odessa A’zion doesn’t play by the (unofficial) rules. —Mykenna Maniece, Vogue, 14 May 2026

The movies in this unofficial series are quite different from one another, though they’re linked in striking ways. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 May 2026

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