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
• public servant
• officeholder
• chair
• chairman
• superintendent
• supervisor
• bureaucrat
• regulator
• head
• minion
• flunky
• underling
• 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
• semiofficial
• licit
• encouraged
• abetted
• ex officio

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of official

Noun

Former employees claim that officials at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, opted not to undertake repairs of leaks in the building’s roof overhangs months ago. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2026

In one such case, Connecticut officials collected a prison debt from a man whose 1-year-old son died while in state foster care. — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026

Adjective

Journalists were allowed back onto the White House grounds later Thursday and primary television pool coverage resumed Friday for the final day of Chinese President Xi Jinping's official state visit. — Quinn Scanlan, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026

Jia says the festival’s AI projects have all been exhibitions, and none of this year’s official selections were made with AI. — Jenny S. Li, Variety, 27 Sep. 2026