An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their superior and/or employer, public or legally private). An elected official is a person who is an official by virtue of an election. Officials may also be appointed ex officio (by virtue of another office, often in a specified capacity, such as presiding, advisory, secretary). Some official positions may be inherited. A person who currently holds an office is referred to as an incumbent. Something "official" refers to something endowed with governmental or other authoritative recognition or mandate, as in official language, official gazette, or official scorer.
Ambtenaar ("Government official"), by Louis Dusée, Utrecht, 1961
The word official as a noun has been recorded since the Middle English period, first seen in 1314.[1] It comes from the Old Frenchofficial (12th century), from the Latinofficialis ("attendant to a magistrate, government official"), the noun use of the original adjectiveofficialis ("of or belonging to duty, service, or office") from officium ("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 French oficial. The informal term officialese, the jargon of "officialdom", was first recorded in 1884.
Roman antiquity
An officialis (pluralofficiales) was the official term (somewhat comparable to a modern civil servant) for any member of the officium (staff) of a high dignitary such as a governor.
Ecclesiastical judiciary
In Canon law, the word or its Latin original officialis is used absolutely as the legal title of a diocesan bishop's judicial vicar who shares the bishop's ordinary judicial power over the diocese and presides over the diocesan ecclesiastical court.
The 1983 Code of Canon Law gives precedence to the title Judicial Vicar, rather than that of Officialis (canon 1420). The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches uses only the title Judicial Vicar (canon 191).
In German, the related noun Offizialat was also used for an official bureau in a diocese that did much of its administration, comprising the vicariate-general, an adjoined secretariat, a registry office and a chancery.
In Catholicism, the vicar-general was originally called the "official" (officialis).[2]
The title of official principal, together with that of vicar-general, has in Anglicanism been merged in that of Diocesan chancellor of a diocese.[3]
Sports
In sports, the term official is used to describe a person enforcing playing rules in the capacity of a linesman, referee and umpire; 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] Is synonymous, among others, with approved, certified, recognized, endorsed, legitimate.[5]
Other
The term officer is close to being a synonym (but has more military connotations). A functionary is someone who carries out a particular role within an organization; this again is quite a close synonym for official, as a noun, but with connotations closer to bureaucrat. Any such person acts in their official capacity, in carrying out the duties of their office; they are also said to officiate, for example in a ceremony. A public official is an official of central or local government.
Max Weber gave as definition of a bureaucratic official:
they are personally free and appointed to their position on the basis of conduct
he exercises the authority delegated to them in accordance with impersonal rules, and their loyalty is enlisted on behalf of the faithful execution of their official duties
their appointment and job placement are dependent upon their technical qualifications
their administrative work is a full-time occupation
their work is rewarded by a regular salary and prospects of advancement in a lifetime career.
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.
Adjective
As an adjective, "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:
An official holiday is a public holiday, having national (or regional) recognition.
An official language is a language recognised by a government, for its own use in administration, or for delivering services to its citizens (for example, on signposts).
An official spokesperson is an individual empowered to speak for the government, or some part of it such as a ministry, on a range of issues and on the record for the media.
An official statement is an issued by an organisation as an expression of its corporate position or opinion;[citation needed] an official apology is an apology similarly issued by an organisation (as opposed to an apology by an individual).[citation needed]
Official policy is policy publicly acknowledged and defended by an organisation.[citation needed] In these cases unofficial is an antonym, and variously may mean informal, unrecognised, personal or unacknowledged.
An official strike is a strike organised and recognised by a labour union, as opposed to an unofficial strike at grassroots level.
An official history, for example of an institution or business, or particularly of a war or military unit, is a history written as a commission, with the assumption of co-operation with access to records and archives; but without necessarily full editorial independence.[citation needed]
An official biography is usually on the same lines, written with access to private papers and the support of the family of the subject.[citation needed]
"official - Search". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
January 20, 2023
official, other, uses, disambiguation, official, someone, holds, office, function, mandate, regardless, whether, carries, actual, working, space, with, organization, government, participates, exercise, authority, either, their, that, their, superior, employer,. For other uses see Official disambiguation An official is someone who holds an office function or mandate regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority either their own or that of their superior and or employer public or legally private An elected official is a person who is an official by virtue of an election Officials may also be appointed ex officio by virtue of another office often in a specified capacity such as presiding advisory secretary Some official positions may be inherited A person who currently holds an office is referred to as an incumbent Something official refers to something endowed with governmental or other authoritative recognition or mandate as in official language official gazette or official scorer Ambtenaar Government official by Louis Dusee Utrecht 1961 Contents 1 Etymology 2 Roman antiquity 3 Ecclesiastical judiciary 4 Sports 5 Other 6 Max Weber on bureaucratic officials 7 Adjective 8 See also 9 References 10 Further readingEtymology EditThe word official as a noun has been recorded since the Middle English period first seen in 1314 1 It comes from the Old French official 12th century from the Latin officialis attendant to a magistrate government official the noun use of the original adjective officialis of or belonging to duty service or office from officium 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 French oficial The informal term officialese the jargon of officialdom was first recorded in 1884 Roman antiquity EditAn officialis plural officiales was the official term somewhat comparable to a modern civil servant for any member of the officium staff of a high dignitary such as a governor Ecclesiastical judiciary EditIn Canon law the word or its Latin original officialis is used absolutely as the legal title of a diocesan bishop s judicial vicar who shares the bishop s ordinary judicial power over the diocese and presides over the diocesan ecclesiastical court The 1983 Code of Canon Law gives precedence to the title Judicial Vicar rather than that of Officialis canon 1420 The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches uses only the title Judicial Vicar canon 191 In German the related noun Offizialat was also used for an official bureau in a diocese that did much of its administration comprising the vicariate general an adjoined secretariat a registry office and a chancery In Catholicism the vicar general was originally called the official officialis 2 The title of official principal together with that of vicar general has in Anglicanism been merged in that of Diocesan chancellor of a diocese 3 Sports EditIn sports the term official is used to describe a person enforcing playing rules in the capacity of a linesman referee and umpire 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 Is synonymous among others with approved certified recognized endorsed legitimate 5 Other EditThe term officer is close to being a synonym but has more military connotations A functionary is someone who carries out a particular role within an organization this again is quite a close synonym for official as a noun but with connotations closer to bureaucrat Any such person acts in their official capacity in carrying out the duties of their office they are also said to officiate for example in a ceremony A public official is an official of central or local government Max Weber on bureaucratic officials EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed June 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Max Weber gave as definition of a bureaucratic official they are personally free and appointed to their position on the basis of conduct he exercises the authority delegated to them in accordance with impersonal rules and their loyalty is enlisted on behalf of the faithful execution of their official duties their appointment and job placement are dependent upon their technical qualifications their administrative work is a full time occupation their work is rewarded by a regular salary and prospects of advancement in a lifetime career 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 Adjective EditAs an adjective 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 An official holiday is a public holiday having national or regional recognition An official language is a language recognised by a government for its own use in administration or for delivering services to its citizens for example on signposts An official spokesperson is an individual empowered to speak for the government or some part of it such as a ministry on a range of issues and on the record for the media An official statement is an issued by an organisation as an expression of its corporate position or opinion citation needed an official apology is an apology similarly issued by an organisation as opposed to an apology by an individual citation needed Official policy is policy publicly acknowledged and defended by an organisation citation needed In these cases unofficial is an antonym and variously may mean informal unrecognised personal or unacknowledged An official strike is a strike organised and recognised by a labour union as opposed to an unofficial strike at grassroots level An official school is a school administered by the government or by a local authority as opposite to a private school or religious school citation needed An official history for example of an institution or business or particularly of a war or military unit is a history written as a commission with the assumption of co operation with access to records and archives but without necessarily full editorial independence citation needed An official biography is usually on the same lines written with access to private papers and the support of the family of the subject citation needed See also EditBureaucrat Canonical Civil service Politician TitleReferences Edit Official vs Officially What s the difference askdifference com van Hove Alphonse 1913 Diocese In Herbermann Charles ed Catholic Encyclopedia New York Robert Appleton Company Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Official Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 20 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 22 official adjective dictionary cambridge org Synonyms for official thesaurus com Further reading Edit Look up official in Wiktionary the free dictionary Office Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 20 11th ed 1911 p 16 official Search Online Etymology Dictionary Retrieved 25 October 2018 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Official amp oldid 1087184854, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
