oficial

Oficial is a word used in Spanish and Portuguese as both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective, it means official, authorized, or sanctioned by an authority. As a noun, it refers to a person who holds a position of authority, such as a police or military officer. In both languages, the form is the same for masculine and feminine when used as an adjective; the gender is indicated through the accompanying article or noun, for example, un oficial (a male officer) or una oficial (a female officer) in Spanish, um oficial or uma oficial in Portuguese.

Etymology traces oficial to the Latin officialis, from officium meaning "duty, service, office." The term entered the Romance languages during the medieval period and developed to cover both the notion of official status and the officeholder.

Spanish usage is widespread in contexts such as documento oficial (official document), autoridad oficial (official authority), and official titles like oficial de policía or oficial del ejército. Portuguese usage likewise covers official documents, public offices, and titles such as oficial de justiça (bailiff) or oficial de polícia. In both languages, the word also appears in phrases indicating authenticity or endorsement, such as sitio oficial or canal oficial.

In addition to its Iberian usage, the term appears in other Romance-influenced varieties and in bilingual contexts, often retaining the same spelling. The English equivalent is official, while the related noun oficio in Portuguese and Spanish denotes a different sense of office, duty, or trade, distinct from the officer meaning of oficial.

See also: official, oficio.