adj. & n.
adj. 1 of or relating to an office (see OFFICE n. 5, 6) or its tenure or duties. 2 characteristic of officials and bureaucracy. 3 emanating from or attributable to a person in office; properly authorized. 4 holding office; employed in a public capacity. 5 Med. according to the pharmacopoeia, officinal.
n. 1 a person holding office or engaged in official duties. 2 (in full official principal) the presiding officer or judge of an archbishop's, bishop's, or esp. archdeacon's court. official birthday Brit. a day in June chosen for the observance of the sovereign's birthday. official secrets confidential information involving national security. officialdom n. officialism n. officially adv.
[ ME (as noun) f. OF f. L officialis (as OFFICE) ]