Officialese

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ə.fɪ.ʃəˈliːz/

Definitions

1. The formal and often unnecessarily complex jargon, bureaucratic language, and pompous style characteristic of official documents and government communications
2. A style of writing or speaking marked by overly formal, complicated, and stiff language used in official and administrative contexts
3. A manner of communication distinguished by its pompous, technical, and excessively wordy character found in authoritative documents

Etymology: "Officialese" is a plain compound: the adjective "official" with the suffix "-ese," which attaches to a noun or adjective to mean a language or style of speaking. The "-ese" ending came into English through Old French "-eis" from Latin "-ensis," a suffix that marked origin or belonging, as in "Chinese" or "Japanese." Over time English extended it beyond nationalities to ways of talking, so "journalese" and "legalese" followed the same pattern. The suffix's own path is worth a note. Latin "-ensis" passed into Vulgar Latin as "-iscus," which Old French reshaped into "-eis," and Middle English took it as "-eys" before English settled on "-ese." The same suffix thus carries a history stretching back through several languages before it reached English. What "officialese" adds is a sense of distance: the language is not built for the reader but for the institution producing it. The word applies that jargon-style suffix to the language of offices and bureaucracies.

Synonyms: bureaucratese, administratese