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

No international player has ever been universally recognized as the face of the NBA, and no true big man has held that unofficial title since the days of Shaquille O’Neal. —Evan Dammarell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025

But an unofficial online fatality list hosted on the site BASEaddict records just 527 total BASE jumping deaths around the world in the past 44 years. —Owen Clarke, Outside, 13 Oct. 2025

So, that stands as an unofficial record despite the incredible feat. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025

Putney is a sort of unofficial artist colony, and the annual craft tour shouldn’t be missed. —Megan Margulies, Travel + Leisure, 11 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