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

The result was that in Aerial Fantasy — an unofficial league that’s closing to make way for the official game — almost every successful team was built around the same handful of players. — Dominic Preston, The Verge, 19 Aug. 2026

Walton Johnson trounced former Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh with about 53% of the vote, according to unofficial results. — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026

Initially, officials dismissed La Coordinadora as an unofficial organization that represented only a small group of activists and refused to negotiate. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026

The car that Ford hopes will return it to overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans made its unofficial debut this week. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 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