amtliche

Amtliche is the feminine singular attributive form of the German adjective amtlich, meaning official or pertaining to an office or public authority. The base adjective amtlich denotes that something originates from or is issued by a government, agency, or other public institution. As a form, amtliche is used before feminine singular nouns in the nominative and accusative cases, for example die amtliche Bekanntmachung, eine amtliche Mitteilung, or eine amtliche Erklärung.

Usage and scope: In German, amtliche is common in administrative, legal, and governmental language. It describes documents, statements, notices, and statistics produced or authorized by public authorities. Phrases such as amtliche Mitteilung (official communication) or amtliche Statistik (official statistics) illustrate typical collocations. The term signals authority and authenticity, distinguishing such items from unofficial or private publications.

Regional and stylistic notes: Amtliche is widely used across German-speaking regions, including Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland. It tends to convey formality and bureaucratic provenance, and is often found in official gazettes, ministry press releases, court documents, and public notices.

Relation to related terms: The synonym officially is offiziell, which is broader and more neutral and can apply to non-governmental contexts. Amtlich emphasizes the involvement or endorsement of a specific authority. In everyday language, both words can sometimes be interchangeable, but amtlich/amtliche often carry a stronger bureaucratic nuance.

See also: Amt, amtlichkeits, Bekanntmachung, Mitteilung, offizielle Dokumente, offizieller Sprachgebrauch.