unofficial

/ʌn.əˈfɪʃ.əl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Not officially established.

Adjective

Examples

the unofficial results of the ballot

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Not officially established. — Implicitly true but withheld and/or contradicted by authority.

Adjective

Examples

The unofficial reason for invading the nation, however, was to control their resources.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “unofficial” mean?

Not officially established.

Is “unofficial” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.