officiell

Officiell is a Swedish adjective meaning something that belongs to, or is issued by, an authority or organization, and is sanctioned, approved, or published through official channels. It is used to describe sources, documents, statements, positions, events, or channels that originate from a public institution or an organization rather than from private individuals. Common usages include official sources, official documents, and official statements.

Etymology and forms: The word derives from the French officiel, which in turn comes from the Latin officialis. In Swedish it is inflected as officiell in the common singular form, officiellt in the neuter singular, and officiella in the plural. This inflection pattern allows it to modify nouns across gender and number, for example, en officiell rapport, ett officiellt dokument, officiella myndigheter.

Nuance and contexts: Officiell conveys legitimacy and formal authorization. It is frequently used in government, media, corporate, and sports contexts to indicate that something is recognized or released by an official source. Examples include en officiell källa (an official source), officiell information (official information), and ett officiellt beslut (an official decision). The term can also describe events announced by authorities, such as en officiell invigning.

Relation to formell: While related, officiell emphasizes authorization by an authority, whereas formell focuses more on formality, etiquette, or procedural aspects. The two can overlap, but they are not interchangeable in all contexts; for instance, en formell ceremoni might be ceremonial rather than sourced from an official body, whereas en officiell presskonferens is conducted by a recognized authority.

See also: cognates in Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian offisiell and Danish officiel, reflecting a shared etymology from Latin officialis.