officially

officially — 副詞

1. in a formal way that has been approved or done by people who hold power, such as

1.副詞B2
釋義

正式；官方

由官方或當權者正式批准、宣布的方式

in a formal way that has been approved or done by people who hold power, such as a government, a school, or a company.

例句

The new library was officially opened by the mayor on Saturday morning.

新圖書館於週六上午由市長正式揭幕啟用。

passive: be officially opened by [authority]

Spain officially recognized the new government two days after the election.

西班牙在選舉結束兩天後正式承認新政府。

officially recognize + noun

同義詞
  • formally

    very close in meaning; emphasizes ceremony or proper procedure rather than the source's authority

  • publicly

    stresses that the act was visible to everyone, not necessarily that an authority did it

  • legally

    narrower; only when the act has the force of law

反義詞

文法句型

officially + past participle (announced/opened/recognized)

用法筆記

Frequently appears in passive constructions with verbs of declaration (announce, recognize, open, confirm, register). The agent, when named, is usually an institution or person in authority rather than a private individual.

常見錯誤

❌My mum officially said I can stay out late.
✅My mum said I can officially stay out late.
💡'officially' fits formal or institutional acts; for personal permission, native speakers use it jokingly, not as a serious modifier of family speech.

2. according to what has been said in public, even though the truth in private may

2.副詞C1
釋義

表面上；名義

對外公開的說法，私下實情可能不同

according to what has been said in public, even though the truth in private may be different.

例句

Officially, the manager resigned; in fact, the board had asked him to leave.

表面上經理是自己辭職的；事實上是董事會請他離開。

sentence-initial: 'Officially, …; in fact, …' contrast

Officially, the factory closed for repairs, but workers say it ran out of money.

對外的說法是工廠停工檢修，但員工說其實是錢燒完了。

Officially, … but … (public claim vs. private reality)

同義詞
  • ostensibly

    more formal; same hedging meaning

  • supposedly

    stronger doubt; suggests the claim may be wrong

  • nominally

    in name only, especially of titles or roles

反義詞
  • really

    the contrast partner — what is actually the case

  • actually

    introduces the truth behind the public version

文法句型

Officially, + clause (often contrasted with 'really' / 'in fact')

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense almost always sits at the start of the sentence and signals doubt. A clause beginning 'Officially, …' usually invites a contrast with 'really', 'in fact', or 'but'. If no such contrast follows, the speaker likely means sense 1.

常見錯誤

❌Officially, I love this restaurant.
✅Honestly, I love this restaurant.
💡'officially' as a sentence adverb implies a public statement that may not be true, which makes a sincere personal opinion sound sarcastic.

3. as part of the duties of a job or post that someone holds, rather than as a priv

3.副詞C1
釋義

以官方身分

以職務身分而非個人身分行事

as part of the duties of a job or post that someone holds, rather than as a private person.

例句

The ambassador was visiting Tokyo officially, not for a private holiday with her family.

大使這次到東京是以官方身分訪問，不是和家人私下度假。

officially vs. privately contrast within one sentence

Dr. Wang attended the conference officially, as the head of the public health department.

王醫師以公共衛生部主任的身分正式出席這場會議。

attend + officially, as + [role]

同義詞
  • formally

    overlaps; 'formally' stresses procedure, 'officially' stresses the role

  • professionally

    broader; covers any work context, not only public duty

反義詞
  • privately

    as a private person, not in one's role

  • personally

    speaking for oneself, not for the institution

文法句型

act / speak / attend + officially

用法筆記

Subject is a person holding a named role; the adverb signals that the action belongs to that role, not to the person's private life. Often paired in the same sentence with 'as the [role]' or contrasted with 'privately' / 'in a personal capacity'.