Unofficial

/ˌʌnəˈfɪʃəl/

Meaning & Definition

adjective

Not officially recognized or authorized.

The group held an unofficial meeting to discuss plans for the upcoming event.

Not deriving from, sanctioned by, or in accordance with official authority.

He was appointed to an unofficial role within the organization to help with the project.

Informal or casual, as opposed to formal or official.

They created an unofficial website to share information about the community initiatives.

Combination of 'un-' meaning 'not' and 'official' from Middle French 'officiel'.

unofficial records

Records not recognized by the formal authority.

unofficial trip

A trip taken without formal approval or arrangement.

unofficial spokesperson

A person speaking on behalf of a group without formal consent.

official

Recognized as being authorized or sanctioned by an authority.

authoritative

Able to be trusted as being accurate or true; reliable.

Not legit

That event was just an unofficial party, not a real concert.

Word of mouth

I heard it from an unofficial source, so take it with a grain of salt.