officially

officially — adverb

1. in a formal way that has been approved or done by people who hold power, such as

1.adverbB2
Definition

in a formal way that has been approved or done by people who hold power, such as a government, a school, or a company.

Example

The new library was officially opened by the mayor on Saturday morning.

passive: be officially opened by [authority]

Spain officially recognized the new government two days after the election.

officially recognize + noun

Common collocations
  • officially open
  • officially announce
  • officially recognize
  • officially confirm
  • officially register
Synonyms
  • formally

    very close in meaning; emphasizes ceremony or proper procedure rather than the source's authority

  • publicly

    stresses that the act was visible to everyone, not necessarily that an authority did it

  • legally

    narrower; only when the act has the force of law

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

officially + past participle (announced/opened/recognized)

Usage Note

Frequently appears in passive constructions with verbs of declaration (announce, recognize, open, confirm, register). The agent, when named, is usually an institution or person in authority rather than a private individual.

Common Mistakes

My mum officially said I can stay out late.
My mum said I can officially stay out late.
'officially' fits formal or institutional acts; for personal permission, native speakers use it jokingly, not as a serious modifier of family speech.

2. according to what has been said in public, even though the truth in private may

2.adverbC1
Definition

according to what has been said in public, even though the truth in private may be different.

Example

Officially, the manager resigned; in fact, the board had asked him to leave.

sentence-initial: 'Officially, …; in fact, …' contrast

Officially, the factory closed for repairs, but workers say it ran out of money.

Officially, … but … (public claim vs. private reality)

Common collocations
  • officially deny
  • officially claim
  • officially state
Synonyms
  • ostensibly

    more formal; same hedging meaning

  • supposedly

    stronger doubt; suggests the claim may be wrong

  • nominally

    in name only, especially of titles or roles

Antonyms
  • really

    the contrast partner — what is actually the case

  • actually

    introduces the truth behind the public version

Grammar Patterns

Officially, + clause (often contrasted with 'really' / 'in fact')

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense almost always sits at the start of the sentence and signals doubt. A clause beginning 'Officially, …' usually invites a contrast with 'really', 'in fact', or 'but'. If no such contrast follows, the speaker likely means sense 1.

Common Mistakes

Officially, I love this restaurant.
Honestly, I love this restaurant.
'officially' as a sentence adverb implies a public statement that may not be true, which makes a sincere personal opinion sound sarcastic.

3. as part of the duties of a job or post that someone holds, rather than as a priv

3.adverbC1
Definition

as part of the duties of a job or post that someone holds, rather than as a private person.

Example

The ambassador was visiting Tokyo officially, not for a private holiday with her family.

officially vs. privately contrast within one sentence

Dr. Wang attended the conference officially, as the head of the public health department.

attend + officially, as + [role]

Common collocations
  • speak officially
  • act officially
  • comment officially
  • represent officially
Synonyms
  • formally

    overlaps; 'formally' stresses procedure, 'officially' stresses the role

  • professionally

    broader; covers any work context, not only public duty

Antonyms
  • privately

    as a private person, not in one's role

  • personally

    speaking for oneself, not for the institution

Grammar Patterns

act / speak / attend + officially

Usage Note

Subject is a person holding a named role; the adverb signals that the action belongs to that role, not to the person's private life. Often paired in the same sentence with 'as the [role]' or contrasted with 'privately' / 'in a personal capacity'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four adverbs describe acts done in the open and with proper standing, but each highlights a different feature. 'Officially' points to the source — somebody in a position of authority, such as a government office, a school, or a company, has carried out or approved the act. 'Formally' focuses on procedure and ceremony: the right steps were followed, the right words spoken. 'Publicly' simply means everyone could see or hear it, with no claim about who acted. 'Legally' is the narrowest, used only when the law itself gives the act force. Compare: a couple may be 'legally' married once the registrar signs; their wedding is held 'formally' in a temple; the news is announced 'publicly' on social media; and the city 'officially' updates its records the next week.

officially ↗formally ↗publicly ↗legally ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • officially announce
  • officially open
  • officially recognize
  • officially confirm
  • officially deny
  • officially register

Prepositions

  • officially for
  • officially as

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

Built from the adjective 'official' (from Latin 'officium' meaning a duty or service) and the English adverb-forming suffix '-ly'. The word entered English in the early 1600s, first describing acts done by someone holding a public post, and later widening to cover anything formally approved by an authority. The hedging sense ('officially, …; really, …') developed in modern journalism, where reporters needed a quick way to mark a public statement as the on-the-record version rather than the full truth.