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.
Phrases and idioms:
official birthday Brit. a day in June chosen for the observance of the sovereign's birthday. official secrets confidential information involving national security.
Derivatives:
officialdom n. officialism n. officially adv.
Etymology: ME (as noun) f. OF f. L officialis (as OFFICE)