Synonyms of official

official 1 of 2

noun

ə-ˈfi-shəl 

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

• officer
• administrator
• director
• manager
• executive
• functionary
• commissioner
• officeholder
• public servant
• chair
• chairman
• superintendent
• supervisor
• bureaucrat
• regulator
• head
• minion
• underling
• flunkey
• flunky
• flunkie
• co-official

official

2 of 2

adjective

as in authorized

ordered or allowed by those in authority

the official languages for those Olympic Games were French and English

Synonyms & Similar Words

• authorized
• legitimate
• promoted
• legal
• lawful
• sanctioned
• suggested
• authoritative
• supported
• approved
• endorsed
• licensed
• regulation
• permissible
• certified
• legit
• canonical
• indorsed
• semiofficial
• licit
• encouraged
• abetted
• ex officio

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unofficial
• unauthorized
• illegal
• unlawful
• nonofficial
• wrongful
• illicit
• unsanctioned
• illegitimate
• impermissible
• lawless
• unlicensed
• unapproved
• verboten

Examples of official in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The task force would consist of legislators, law enforcement officials, legal experts and survivors. —David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 19 Oct. 2024

And all those government officials just taking over the house and chasing after kids on bikes? —Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 19 Oct. 2024

Adjective

Boeing is scheduled to make its official earnings report on Wednesday. —Bill Stone, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024

Features with children at the core – usually included in the festival’s Just Film section dedicated to children and youth – are also part of the official selection through stories of bullying at school and children’s rights, among others. —Annika Pham, Variety, 19 Oct. 2024