transcription, транскрипция: [ əfɪʃ(ə)l ]
( officials)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
Official means approved by the government or by someone in authority.
According to the official figures, over one thousand people died during the revolution...
A report in the official police newspaper gave no reason for the move.
≠ unofficial
ADJ : usu ADJ n
• of‧fi‧cial‧ly
The nine-year civil war is officially over.
ADV : usu ADV -ed , also ADV group , ADV after v
2.
Official activities are carried out by a person in authority as part of their job.
The President is in Brazil for an official two-day visit.
≠ private
ADJ : ADJ n
3.
Official things are used by a person in authority as part of their job.
...the official residence of the Head of State.
ADJ : ADJ n
4.
If you describe someone’s explanation or reason for something as the official explanation, you are suggesting that it is probably not true, but is used because the real explanation is embarrassing.
The official reason given for the President’s absence was sickness.
ADJ : ADJ n
• of‧fi‧cial‧ly
Officially, the guard was to protect us. In fact, they were there to report on our movements.
ADV : ADV with cl / group
5.
An official is a person who holds a position of authority in an organization.
A senior UN official hopes to visit Baghdad this month.
N-COUNT : oft n N
6.
An official at a sports event is a referee, umpire, or other person who checks that the players follow the rules.
N-COUNT