The meaning of OFFICIAL is one who holds or is invested with an office : officer. How to use official in a sentence. OFFICIAL definition: 1.

Understanding the Context

relating to a position of responsibility: 2. agreed to or arranged by people in positions of…. Learn more. 1.

Key Insights

a person appointed or elected to an office or charged with certain duties. 2. of or pertaining to an office or position of duty, trust, or authority: official powers. 3. appointed, authorized, or approved by a government or organization.

Final Thoughts

4. holding office. 5. public and formal; ceremonial. of or relating to an office or to a position of duty, trust, or authority:[before a noun] official powers. appointed, authorized, recognized, or approved by a government or organization: an official flag.

If something is official, it's authorized and approved by somebody. If Gatorade is the official drink of the Olympics, somebody with authority has signed some papers and a deal has been made. Adjective official (comparative more official, superlative most official) Of or about an office or public trust. There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun official, one of which is labelled obsolete.