official
/əˈfɪʃl/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈfɪʃl/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈfi-shəl ō-/ (ame, mw) · /əˈfɪʃ.əl/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈfɪʃ.əl/ (ame, ipa)
official — adjective
- officialpositive
- more officialcomparative
- most officialsuperlative
1. describing the duties, time, or work that someone carries out as part of a job t
describing the duties, time, or work that someone carries out as part of a job that comes with formal responsibility, such as a government or company role.
The mayor's official duties include opening hospitals and meeting visiting leaders.
attributive: official + duties / role / capacity
Senator Park spent her official hours reading new bills and replying to voters.
Mr. Tanaka was acting in his official capacity as treasurer when he signed the cheque.
The ambassador wore a dark suit for the official meeting with the prime minister.
Detective Lopez carried out the search as part of her official work for the police.
- professional
broader: covers any paid expert work, not specifically office-holding
- work-related
neutral, no implication of public authority
文法句型
official + noun (duties, capacity, role)
用法筆記
Almost always attributive (before a noun). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense describes the JOB-HOLDER's own activity, while sense 2 describes things sanctioned BY an authority.
常見錯誤
2. approved, set up, or carried out by people with the power to make rules — for ex
approved, set up, or carried out by people with the power to make rules — for example a government, a school, or the leaders of a company — so it counts as the proper version.
The official price of the train ticket from Taipei to Kaohsiung is 1,490 dollars.
attributive: official + concrete noun (price, list, ban)
Lin Yu-ting carried the official flag of Taiwan into the Olympic stadium.
The school's official uniform is a navy jacket with grey trousers.
There will be an official ceremony on Friday to mark the opening of the new bridge.
The protest is not yet official, so the union may still call it off.
- authorized
stresses being given permission, slightly more legal in tone
- formal
stresses ceremony or set procedure rather than authority
- approved
softer; means a decision-maker has agreed, but not necessarily public
- unofficial
lacking the approval of an authority
- informal
outside set procedures, often friendly
文法句型
official + noun
be + official
用法筆記
Subject or modified noun is usually a thing or event that an authority can grant status to (price, language, ceremony, ban, uniform). Distinguish from sense 1: here the focus is on AUTHORIZATION, not on whose job it is.
常見錯誤
3. of news, results, or facts: confirmed in public by someone in charge, so people
of news, results, or facts: confirmed in public by someone in charge, so people can now treat the information as definite rather than rumour.
It's official: Maria and Daniel are getting married next spring in Lisbon.
fixed opener: It's official (+ that-clause / colon)
The election results became official at midnight, after every district had counted its votes.
The transfer is now official, and Ronaldo will play his first match for the new club on Saturday.
The coach made the line-up official by posting it on the team's website.
Until the doctor signs the form, the diagnosis is not yet official.
- unofficial
not yet publicly confirmed; rumoured
- rumoured
talked about but not yet announced as fact
文法句型
it's official (that-clause)
make + something + official
用法筆記
Frequently predicative, especially in the colloquial opener 'It's official, ...'. Subject is typically a piece of news, a result, or a status change. Differs from sense 2 (AUTHORIZED): here the news already exists; the authority simply CONFIRMS it publicly.
常見錯誤
4. of a language, name, or currency: formally adopted by a national or regional gov
of a language, name, or currency: formally adopted by a national or regional government as the one used for laws, schools, and public documents.
Mandarin is one of the official languages of Singapore, alongside English, Malay, and Tamil.
official + language(s) — list pattern with 'alongside'
The official currency of Japan is the yen, and shops rarely accept other money.
The country's official name is the Kingdom of Bhutan, although people often shorten it.
Welsh became an official language of Wales in 2011, equal in status to English.
Schools in Quebec must teach in French, the province's official language.
- unofficial
spoken widely but not chosen by the government
文法句型
official + language / currency / name
用法筆記
Always attributive. Modified noun is a small set: language, currency, name, anthem, residence, religion, holiday. Differs from sense 2 (AUTHORIZED): here the noun is something a state formally adopts as the standard one for the country.
常見錯誤
official — noun
- officialsingular
- officialsplural
1. a person whose job is to make decisions or carry out duties on behalf of a gover
a person whose job is to make decisions or carry out duties on behalf of a government, a large company, or another organization that holds power.
A senior official at the foreign ministry refused to comment on the leaked report.
[adjective] + official + at/from/of + organization
Two health officials visited the school on Monday to check the canteen kitchens.
The president met union officials for three hours before signing the new wage deal.
Customs officials at the airport stopped Mr. Reyes and searched his luggage.
Local officials in Hsinchu have promised to clean up the river by next year.
- officer
often used for police, army, or specific posts; narrower
- bureaucrat
negative tone; suggests rigid, paperwork-loving administrator
- administrator
neutral; stresses managing rather than authority
- civilian
ordinary citizen with no public post
文法句型
[adjective] + official
official + of/from/at + organization
用法筆記
Countable, often plural. Strongly preceded by a domain adjective (government, party, customs, health, union, local) or by 'senior / junior'. The organization usually follows with 'at', 'from', or 'of'.
常見錯誤
2. a person at a sports match whose job is to watch the play, signal what happens,
a person at a sports match whose job is to watch the play, signal what happens, and check that every team obeys the rules — for example a referee, umpire, or line judge.
The match officials checked the video before allowing the goal to stand.
officials + check / allow / award / disqualify
Three officials, dressed in black, ran onto the field at the start of the rugby final.
The officials disqualified the swimmer for starting before the whistle.
Coach Park argued with the officials after the second yellow card of the night.
Tennis officials stopped play when heavy rain began to fall on the centre court.
文法句型
officials + verb (call, signal, allow, disqualify)
用法筆記
Often plural ('the officials'), referring to the whole team of judges at a match. Distinguish from sense 1: here the post is tied to a single sporting event, not to an organization or government.