unofficial

Unofficial is an adjective used to describe something not officially sanctioned, endorsed, or recognized by an authority, organization, or governing body. It can refer to actions taken outside formal procedures, or to information, events, or roles that lack formal legitimacy within a given system. The term often signals a distinction between what exists in practice or observation and what has been formally approved or codified.

Etymology and usage notes: official derives from Latin officium via Old French and English. Un- plus official yields unofficial, a construction that has appeared in English since the early modern period and remains common in a wide range of contexts.

Common contexts include government and politics, where unofficial channels or statements occur outside formal processes; in media and information, where unofficial results, estimates, or translations are reported pending formal confirmation. In organizational and cultural settings, unofficial events, groups, or leaders operate without formal designation or authorization. The term also appears in legal and regulatory discussions to indicate that a matter has not received formal approval or binding status, though it does not necessarily imply illegality.

Collocations and related terms include unofficial spokesman, unofficial report, unofficial translation, and unofficially as an adverb. The contrast with official is situational: something may be widely recognized in practice while lacking formal endorsement, or it may be entirely informal by design. See also official, informal, de facto.