Unofficialized

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing a state or condition where something has not been formally recognized, authorized, or established by official authority; lacking official sanction or validation; existing informally or without formal approval
2. Characterizing an entity or concept that has not undergone the process of official confirmation or legitimization; remaining outside formal recognition; being informal or unendorsed by authoritative bodies
3. Pertaining to something that has not been granted official status or formal acceptance; existing without sanctioned authority or formal acknowledgment; indicative of an informal or provisional nature

Etymology: "Unofficialized" is a plain formation: the prefix "un-", meaning "not" or "reversal of," attached to "officialized," the past participle of "officialize," which in turn is "official" with the verb-forming suffix "-ize" added. Together they describe something that has not been made official, or that has been left outside formal endorsement. The building blocks are older than the word itself. "Official" came into English from Anglo-French and Latin "officialis," relating to an "officium," or duty or office. The verb "officialize" then turned that adjective into an action: to give something official status. Adding "un-" to the past participle produces a state rather than an action, so the word describes the condition of lacking that status.

Synonyms: informalized, unapproved, unauthorized, unvalidated

Antonyms: officialized, formalized, authorized, validated, approved