nonofficials
|non-of-fi-cials|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnəˈfɪʃəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnəˈfɪʃəl/
(nonofficial)
not official / not an official person
Etymology
'nonofficial' originates from the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non') meaning 'not', combined with 'official' (from Latin 'officialis').
'official' derives from Latin 'officium' ('duty, office'), passed into Late Latin as 'officialis', then into Old French as 'officiel' and into Middle English as 'official'; the negative prefix 'non-' (Latin 'non') was later attached to form 'nonofficial' in Modern English.
Originally 'official' related to 'duty' or 'office'; over time it came to mean 'authorized by an office or authority'. 'Nonofficial' therefore developed to mean 'not authorized by an office' or 'not formal.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
people who are not officials; persons acting or present in a capacity that is not formal or authorized by an official office.
Several nonofficials attended the ceremony alongside government representatives.
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Antonyms
Adjective 1
not official; not authorized or formal (used to describe actions, statements, or positions).
The nonofficials' comments were treated as informal and not representative of policy.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/13 07:33