Anofficial is someone who holds an office (function ormandate, regardless of whether it carries an actualworking space with it) in anorganization or government and participates in the exercise ofauthority (either their own or that of their superior or employer, public or legally private). An elected official is a person who is an official by virtue of anelection. Officials may also be appointedex officio (by virtue of another office, often in a specified capacity, such as presiding, advisory, secretary). Some official positions may beinherited. A person who currently holds an office is referred to as anincumbent. Something "official" refers to something endowed with governmental or other authoritative recognition or mandate, as inofficial language,official gazette, orofficial scorer.
The wordofficial as anoun has been recorded since theMiddle English period, first seen in 1314.[1] It comes from theOld Frenchofficial (12th century), from theLatinofficialis ("attendant to a magistrate, government official"), the noun use of the originaladjectiveofficialis ("of or belonging to duty, service, or office") fromofficium ("office"). The meaning "person in charge of some public work or duty" was first recorded in 1555. The adjective is first attested in English in 1533 via the Old Frenchoficial. The informal termofficialese, the jargon of "officialdom", was first recorded in 1884.
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Anofficialis (pluralofficiales) was the official term (somewhat comparable to a modern civil servant) for any member of theofficium (staff) of a high dignitary such as a governor.
Incanon law, the word or its Latin originalofficialis is used absolutely as the legal title of a diocesan bishop'sjudicial vicar who shares the bishop'sordinary judicial power over thediocese and presides over the diocesanecclesiastical court.
The1983Code of Canon Law gives precedence to the title judicial vicar, rather than that ofofficialis (canon 1420). TheCode of Canons of the Eastern Churches uses only the title judicial vicar (canon 191).
In German, the related nounOffizialat was also used for an official bureau in a diocese that did much of its administration, comprising thevicariate-general, an adjoined secretariat, a registry office and a chancery.
In Catholicism, the vicar-general was originally called the "official" (officialis).[2]
The title ofofficial principal, together with that of vicar-general, has in Anglicanism been merged in that ofdiocesan chancellor of a diocese.[3]
Insports, the term official is used to describe a person enforcing playingrules in the capacity of anassistant referee,referee andumpire; also specified by the discipline, e.g.American football official,ice hockey official. An official competition is created or recognized as valid by the competent body, is agreed to or arranged by people in positions of authority.[4] It is synonymous, among others, with approved, certified, recognized, endorsed, and legitimate.[5]
The termofficer is close to being a synonym (but has more militaryconnotations). Afunctionary is someone who carries out a particular role within an organization; this again is quite a close synonym for official, as anoun, but with connotations closer tobureaucrat. Any such person acts in theirofficial capacity, in carrying out the duties of their office; they are also said toofficiate, for example, in aceremony. Apublic official is an official of central or localgovernment.
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Max Weber gave as definition of a bureaucratic official:
An official must exercise their judgment and their skills, but their duty is to place these at the service of a higher authority; ultimately they are responsible only for the impartial execution of assigned tasks and must sacrifice their personal judgment if it runs counter to their official duties.
As anadjective, "official" often, but not always, means pertaining to the government, as state employee or having state recognition, or analogous to governance or to a formal (especially legally regulated) proceeding as opposed to informal business. In summary, that has authenticity emanates from an authority. Some examples:
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