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Official vs Formal - What's the difference?

official | formal |

As adjectives the difference between official and formal

is that official is of or pertaining to an office or public trust while formal is being in accord with established forms.

As nouns the difference between official and formal

is that official is an office holder invested with powers and authorities while formal is formalin.

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

    * * ----

    formal

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Being in accord with established forms.
  • :
  • Official.
  • :
  • Relating to the form or structure of something.
  • :
  • *
  • Relating to formation.
  • :
  • Ceremonial.
  • :(rfquote-sense)
  • Proper, according to strict etiquette; not casual.
  • :
  • Organized; well-structured and planned.
  • :
  • (mathematics) Relating to mere manipulation and construction of strings of symbols, without regard to their meaning.
  • :

    • Antonyms

    * informal

    Derived terms

    * formal cause * formalize * formalist * formalism * formality

    Related terms

    * form

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Formalin.
  • An evening gown.
  • An event with a formal dress code.
    • Jenny took Sam to her Year 12 formal .

    External links

    * * ----