Basic Details
Word: Official
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Approved by or done by people in authority. As a noun, an official is a person who holds a position of authority.
Synonyms: formal, authorised, approved
Antonyms: unofficial, informal
How to Spell Official
Syllables: of - fi - cial
Tricky part: The end is cial, not tial or shal. Many students drop the second i and write offical.
Watch out for: offical, officail, ofishal
Memory tip: Keep office in view: offic-, then ial. The c makes the sh sound, just as it does in special and social.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The official language of Tamil Nadu is Tamil.
Example 2: We are waiting for the official announcement of the holiday.
Example 3: A railway official checked our tickets at the gate.
Fun Fact
The Constitution of India names Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union, with English also used for official work.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word official as it is used in the sentence:
The official results will be put up on the school website on Friday.
a) approved
b) formal
c) authorised
d) unofficial
Show answer
d) unofficial. Results put up by the school itself are official; rumours passed on by a friend would be unofficial.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
offi_i_l
a) c, a
b) t, a
c) c, e
d) s, a
Show answer
a) c, a. The c of office stays, and the word ends ial.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters to find the word that fits the sentence:
The referee is the only lacfoiif who can stop the match.
a) affiliate
b) official
c) efficient
d) artificial
Show answer
b) official. Two f's, two i's, o, c, a and l make official, and a referee is a match official.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. An official visit by the Prime Minister is one that is ____.
a) for a family holiday
b) made as part of her duties
c) secret and unplanned
d) cancelled at the last minute
Show answer
b) made as part of her duties
2. An official document, such as ____, is issued by the government.
a) a comic
b) a shopping list
c) a passport
d) a diary
Show answer
c) a passport
