official
/əˈfɪʃəl/
noun
Origin
Latin
officium — duty, service, office
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person holding public office or having official duties.
- A person authorized to perform a specific function, such as refereeing a sports game.
Literal older meaning
One who performs an office or duty.
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
official
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term originates from the Roman concept of 'officium', which denoted both the moral duty of a citizen and the physical space or administrative function where that duty was executed. By the Middle Ages, the term was heavily used in the Catholic Church to denote a judicial officer (the 'officialis').
Evolution
- Latin
officium
“service, duty, official position”
Derived from opus (work) + facere (to do).
- Late Latin
officiālis
“pertaining to duty”
Adjectival formation from officium.
- Old French
official
“an ecclesiastical officer”
- Middle English
official
“a person holding an office”
Connections
Word parts
offic-
root
duty or service
-ial
suffix
pertaining to
Related across languages
French
officiel
official
Spanish
oficial
official
Related words
Explore next
Related to official
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.