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 Sentences

Recent Examples of official

Noun

But despite all the activity, election officials reported few rule breaks. —Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 6 Nov. 2024

When the polls close at 8 p.m. local time, election officials can begin reporting out unofficial election results. —Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024

Adjective

Oliveira is the No. 2 fighter in the official UFC lightweight rankings. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Other photos in the collection show the proud mayor posing with the official proclamation. —Jade Gomez, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024