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
Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Customs officials said the World Health Organization classified khat as a drug of abuse in 1980.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 16 June 2026
Eagle-eyed TikTokers quickly deduced that Franco's new account is only following two others — the official account for an upcoming film titled Love Meets in the Sunshine and Christian Guiton, the film's director.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for official
Noun
That has tribes urgently seeking government-to-government talks with Interior Department officials in a bid to win an exemption, according to Blaine Harden of Inside Climate News.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Customs officials said the World Health Organization classified khat as a drug of abuse in 1980.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026
Adjective
The film was initially invited to Cannes 2026 as an official selection, but Herzog declined after it wasn’t offered a competition slot.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 16 June 2026
Eagle-eyed TikTokers quickly deduced that Franco's new account is only following two others — the official account for an upcoming film titled Love Meets in the Sunshine and Christian Guiton, the film's director.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for official
Recent Examples of Synonyms for official
Noun
-
Upon arrival, officers found an unresponsive 28-year-old man in the street with multiple gunshot wounds to the body.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
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Later, after a small trash fire was set, mounted officers formed a line to push people out of the street as crowd-control units gathered behind them, with the horses fitted in protective eye gear.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Animals must be inspected by an authorized veterinarian/official within 5 days prior to movement.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
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The city has 515 authorized positions, 461 of which are currently filled, according to city spokesperson Kristyn Nelson.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Official.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/official. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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