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

Clayton County Water Authority officials said a service disruption that temporarily knocked out water to parts of the county was possibly a cyberattack. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026

But administration officials told CNN no such thing is in the works. — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026

Adjective

After spending time connecting with fans and helping create excitement at events for Real American Beer—the official beer of Real American Freestyle—I was invited to bring that same approach to Real American Freestyle. — Matthew Rolnick, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Today, the Toronto International Film Festival has added over 60 new titles to its slate, including the official selections of its Centrepiece program, plus its Wavelengths and TIFF Classics selections. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 4 Aug. 2026