unofficial
adjective
un·of·fi·cial
ˌən-ə-ˈfi-shəl 
also -ō-
: not authorized or acknowledged by a government, group, class, or society : not official
unofficial results
an unofficial policy
unofficially
adverb
Examples of unofficial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Washington recognizes the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China, but maintains close unofficial ties with Taipei, which have strengthened in recent years.
—
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
Finally, 150 miles later, the massive Missouri River and the unofficial line where the row crops of the lush Midwest start to give way to the rangeland of the arid West.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 29 Dec. 2025
And Rose City Band’s Sol y Sombra quietly became my unofficial drive-time gospel this year, all JJ Cale ease and those honeyed, unhurried guitar tones that glide with a faint Lou Reed New Sensations swagger.
—Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
Come January, Musk was appointed as the unofficial head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with gutting several federal agencies including the Department of Education and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unofficial
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Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
Finally, 150 miles later, the massive Missouri River and the unofficial line where the row crops of the lush Midwest start to give way to the rangeland of the arid West.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 29 Dec. 2025
And Rose City Band’s Sol y Sombra quietly became my unofficial drive-time gospel this year, all JJ Cale ease and those honeyed, unhurried guitar tones that glide with a faint Lou Reed New Sensations swagger.
—Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
Come January, Musk was appointed as the unofficial head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with gutting several federal agencies including the Department of Education and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unofficial
Cite this Entry
“Unofficial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unofficial. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
unofficial
adjective
un·of·fi·cial
ˌən-ə-ˈfish-əl
: not official
specifically
: of, relating to, or being a drug not described in the United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary compare nonofficial, official
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