as in officer
a person who holds a public office
some of our best public officials do their jobs quietly and are never in the news
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in authorized
ordered or allowed by those in authority
the official languages for those Olympic Games were French and English
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of official
Brittney Melton, NPR, 7 Aug. 2025
For six months, U.S. officials have met with their Russians counterparts to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine.
—Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
George Ramsay, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
According to the official news release, most of the staff will be eliminated by the end of September, but a small team will stick around through January 2026.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for official
Noun
Radford has been stationed at Fort Stewart since 2022, and the weapon used was his own handgun, according to Army officials.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 7 Aug. 2025
For six months, U.S. officials have met with their Russians counterparts to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine.
—Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Organizers have also set aside $5 million to put towards player expenses, including a $1,000 travel stipend for each player and two hotel rooms at the official player hotel (or $600 per day for staying at alternative accommodation).
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
According to the official news release, most of the staff will be eliminated by the end of September, but a small team will stick around through January 2026.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for official
Recent Examples of Synonyms for official
Noun
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During the scenes, Mr. Mackay — who became an ICE officer after being fired from his job as a South Park Elementary counselor because of a cut in funding from the Department of Education — works under Noem’s watch.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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In addition, the National Park Service will reinstall a statue of Confederate military officer Albert Pike in Washington, DC.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The California Department of Water Resources was assigned to disburse the loan to PG&E and ensure that the funds were used for authorized costs.—
CalMatters,
Oc Register,
12 Aug. 2025
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Authorities are unsure how Radford got his personal firearm through the base’s high security before carrying out the shooting, although personnel with authorized access are typically not searched en masse unless an installation has increased its security posture in response to potential threats.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
9 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Official.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/official. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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