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Official vs Authoritative - What's the difference?

official | authoritative | Synonyms |

As adjectives the difference between official and authoritative

is that official is of or pertaining to an office or public trust while authoritative is arising or originating from a figure of authority.

As a noun official

is an office holder invested with powers and authorities.

official

English

(wikipedia official)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Of or pertaining to an office or public trust.
    • official duties
  • Derived from the proper office or officer, or from the proper authority; made or communicated by virtue of authority
    • an official statement or report
  • Approved by authority; authorized.
  • sanctioned by the pharmacopoeia; appointed to be used in medicine; officinal
    • an official drug or preparation
  • Discharging an office or function.
  • * Sir Thomas Browne
    • the stomach and other parts official unto nutrition
  • Relating to an office; especially, to a subordinate executive officer or attendant.
  • Relating to an ecclesiastical judge appointed by a bishop, chapter, archdeacon, etc., with charge of the spiritual jurisdiction.

    • Antonyms

    * unofficial

    Related terms

    * office * officer * officiate * officiality

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An office holder invested with powers and authorities.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2014-03-15, volume=410, issue=8878, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Turn it off , passage=If the takeover is approved, Comcast would control 20 of the top 25 cable markets, […]. Antitrust officials will need to consider Comcast’s status as a monopsony (a buyer with disproportionate power), when it comes to negotiations with programmers, whose channels it pays to carry.}}
  • A person responsible for applying the rules of a game or sport in a competition.

    • Hyponyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * fourth official

    Statistics

    *

    External links

    * * ----

    authoritative

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Arising or originating from a figure of authority
    • The authoritative rules in this school come not from the headmaster but from the aged matron.
  • Highly accurate or definitive; treated or worthy of treatment as a scholarly authority
    • This book is the world's most authoritative guide to insect breeding habits.
  • Having a commanding style.
    • He instructed us in that booming, authoritative voice of his.

    Synonyms

    * (highly accurate) definitive; precise, proper * (from a position of authority) of record

    Derived terms

    * authoritatively * authoritativeness