unofficial

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˌʌnəˈfɪʃəl/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Not authorized, recognized, or sanctioned by an official body or authority.; Not formally acknowledged or confirmed, though generally known or accepted.; Relating to a strike or industrial action not authorized by a trade union.

🔗 Details

Word forms

Comparative: more unofficial Superlative: most unofficial

Collocations

unofficial resultsunofficial estimateunofficial spokespersonunofficial policyunofficial capacityunofficial source

Derivatives

unofficiallyofficialofficiallyofficialdom

Synonyms

informalunauthorizedunconfirmedunverifiedunapproved

Antonyms

officialformalauthorized

Commonly confused

informal
EN: 'Informal' suggests a relaxed or casual tone, while 'unofficial' specifically means lacking formal authorization or recognition.
unauthorized
EN: 'Unauthorized' implies something was done without permission (often negatively), while 'unofficial' is more neutral, simply meaning not formally sanctioned.

Spelling tips

EN: Remember 'unofficial' has double 'f' (from 'official'). Do not write 'unoficial'.

💬 Examples

  1. The unofficial results suggest a landslide victory for the opposition party.

  2. There is an unofficial agreement among the neighbors to keep noise to a minimum after 10 PM.

  3. The unofficial strike by dock workers caused significant delays at the port.