different between officer vs official

English

Etymology

From Middle English officer, from Anglo-Norman officer, officier, from Old French officer, Late Latin officiarius (“official”), from Latin officium (“office”) + -?rius (“-er”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??f?s?/
  • (weak vowel merger) IPA^(key): /??f?s?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??f?s?/
  • (weak vowel merger) IPA^(key): /??f?s?/
• (cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /??f?s?/
• (dialectal, informal) IPA^(key): /??fs?/
• Hyphenation: of?fi?cer

Noun

officer (plural officers)

2. One who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization, especially in military, police or government organizations.
3. A respectful term of address for an officer, especially a police officer.
5. One who holds a public office.
7. An agent or servant imparted with the ability, to some degree, to act on initiative.
9. (colloquial, military) A commissioned officer.

Derived terms

• non-commissioned officer
• officerly
• patrol officer
• police officer

Related terms

• office
• official
• officiate

Descendants

• ? Central Dusun: upisor
• ? Punjabi: ????? (afasar)
• ? Swahili: afisa

Translations

Verb

officer (third-person singular simple present officers, present participle officering, simple past and past participle officered)

1. (transitive) To supply with officers.
2. (transitive) To command like an officer.

Synonyms

• direct
• conduct
• manage

Related terms

• CO
• NCO

Translations

Middle English

Alternative forms

• officere, officeer, offyseer, offycer, offycere, offiser, officeere, officiare, offecer, oficer, officier

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman officer, officier, from Latin offici?rius; equivalent to office +? -er.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fi??s??r/, /?fi?s??r/, /??fi?s?r/, /??fis?r/

Noun

officer (plural officers)

1. A hireling or subordinate; one employed to serve, especially at an estate.
2. An official or officeholder; the holder of a prominent office or position.
3. A municipal, local or societal official or officeholder.
4. A religious or ecclesiastical official or officeholder.
5. (religion) A deputy or subordinate of the forces of good or evil.
6. (rare) One who supervises or organises jousting.
7. (rare) A member or leader of a military force.

Descendants

• English: officer
• Scots: offisher

References

• “off??c??r, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-03-20.

Old French

Alternative forms

• officier

Noun

officer m (oblique plural officers, nominative singular officers, nominative plural officer)

1. officer

References

• officer on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

Swedish

Etymology

From French

Pronunciation

Noun

officer c

1. officer, a military person of fänrik grade or higher
2. (archaic) ämbetsman, tjänsteman; one who holds a public office

English

Etymology

From Middle English official, from Old French official, from Latin offici?lis, from Latin officium (“duty, service”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??f???l/
• Rhymes: -???l

Adjective

official (comparative more official, superlative most official)

1. Of or pertaining to an office or public trust.

   official duties

2. Derived from the proper office or officer, or from the proper authority; made or communicated by virtue of authority

   an official statement or report

3. Approved by authority; authorized.

   The Official Strategy Guide

   1. (Of a statement) Dubious but recognized by authorities as truth and/or canon.

      Despite these testimonies, "accidental asphyxiation" remains his official cause of death.

4. (pharmaceutical) Sanctioned by the pharmacopoeia; appointed to be used in medicine; officinal.

   an official drug or preparation

5. Discharging an office or function.
6. Relating to an office; especially, to a subordinate executive officer or attendant.
7. Relating to an ecclesiastical judge appointed by a bishop, chapter, archdeacon, etc., with charge of the spiritual jurisdiction.
8. (slang) True, real, beyond doubt.

   Well, it's official: you lost your mind!

9. (pharmacology) Listen in a national pharmacopeia.

Antonyms

• unofficial

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

official (plural officials)

1. An office holder invested with powers and authorities.
2. A person responsible for applying the rules of a game or sport in a competition.

Hyponyms

• See also Thesaurus:official

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• official in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• official in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• officiale, offycyal, offyciall, officiall, offecialle

Etymology

From Old French official, from Latin offici?lis; equivalent to office +? -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fisi?a?l/, /??fisial/

Noun

official (plural officials)

1. An underling of a member of the clergy, often heading a clerical court.
2. A hireling or subordinate; one employed to serve, especially at an estate.

Descendants

• English: official
• Scots: offeecial

References

• “offici?l, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-03-20.

Adjective

official (plural and weak singular officiale)

1. (of body parts) Functional; serving a purpose.
2. (rare) Requisite or mandatory for a task.

Descendants

• English: official
• Scots: offeecial

References

• “offici?l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-03-20.

Old French

Alternative forms

• officiel

Noun

official m (oblique plural officiaus or officiax or officials, nominative singular officiaus or officiax or officials, nominative plural official)

1. court official
2. chamber pot

Adjective

official m (oblique and nominative feminine singular officiale)

1. official; certified or permitted by an authoritative source

Descendants

• ? Middle English: official, officiale, offycyal, offyciall, officiall, offecialle
  • English: official
  • Scots: offeecial
• French: officiel

Portuguese

Adjective

official (plural officiaes, comparable)

1. Obsolete spelling of oficial

Noun

official m, f (plural officiaes)

1. Obsolete spelling of oficial