An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either his own or that of his superior and/or employer, public or legally private).

A government official or functionary is an official who is involved in public administration or government, through either election, appointment, selection, or employment. A bureaucrat is a member of the bureaucracy. An elected official is a person who is an official by virtue of an election. Officials may also be appointed ex officio (by virtue of another office, often in a specified capacity, such as presiding, advisory, secretary). Some official positions may be inherited.

A person who currently holds an office is referred to as an incumbent.

The word official as a noun has been recorded since the Middle English period, first seen in 1314.^{[citation needed]} It comes from the Old French official (12th century), from the Latin officialis ("attendant to a magistrate, public official"), the noun use of the original adjective officialis ("of or belonging to duty, service, or office") from officium ("office"). The meaning "person in charge of some public work or duty" was first recorded in 1555. The adjective is first attested in English in 1533, via the Old French oficial.

The informal term officialese, the jargon of "officialdom", was first recorded in 1884.

Roman Antiquity[link]

An officialis (plural officiales) was the official term (somewhat comparable to a modern civil servant) for any member of the officium (staff) of a high dignitary such as a governor.

Ecclesiastical judiciary[link]

In Canon law, the word or its Latin original officialis is used absolutely as the legal title of a diocesan bishop's judicial vicar who shares the bishop's ordinary judicial power over the diocese and presides over the diocesan ecclesiastical court.

The 1983 Code of Canon Law gives precedence to the title Judicial Vicar, rather than that of Officialis (canon 420). The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches uses only the title Judicial Vicar (canon 191).

In German, the related noun Offizialat was also used for an official bureau in a diocese that did much of its administration, comprising the vicariate-general, an adjoined secretariat, a registry office and a chancery.

The title of official principal, together with that of vicar-general, has in Anglicanism? England been merged in that of Diocesan chancellor of a diocese.

Other[link]

In sports, the term official is used to describe a person enforcing playing rules in the capacity of a linesman, referee and umpire; also specified by the discipline, e.g. American football official, Ice hockey official.

The term officer is close to being a synonym (but has more military connotations). A functionary is someone who carries out a particular role within an organization; this again is quite a close synonym for official, as a noun, but with connotations closer to bureaucrat. Any such person acts in their official capacity, in carrying out the duties of their office; they are also said to officiate, for example in a ceremony. A public official is an official of central or local government.

Max Weber on bureaucratic officials[link]

Max Weber gave as definition of a bureaucratic official :

• he is personally free and appointed to his position on the basis of conduct
• he exercises the authority delegated to him in accordance with impersonal rules, and his loyalty is enlisted on behalf of the faithful execution of his official duties
• his appointment and job placement are dependent upon his technical qualifications
• his administrative work is a full-time occupation
• his work is rewarded by a regular salary and prospects of advancement in a lifetime career.

An official must exercise his judgment and his skills, but his duty is to place these at the service of a higher authority; ultimately he is responsible only for the impartial execution of assigned tasks and must sacrifice his personal judgment if it runs counter to his official duties.

Adjective[link]

As an adjective, official often but not always means pertaining to the government, either as state employee or having state recognition, or to analogous governance, or to formal (especially legally regulated) proceeding as opposed to informal business. Some examples:

• An official holiday is a public holiday, having national (or regional) recognition.
• An official language is a language recognised by a government, for its own use in administration, or for the use of citizens (for example on signposts).
• An official spokesperson would be an individual empowered to speak for the government, or some part of it such as a ministry, on a range of issues and on the record for the media.
• An official statement is issued by an organisation as an expression of its corporate position or opinion; an official apology is an apology similarly issued by an organisation (as opposed to an apology by an individual).
• Official policy is policy publicly acknowledged and defended by an organisation. In these cases unofficial is an antonym, and variously may mean informal, unrecognised, personal or unacknowledged.
• An official strike is a strike organised and recognised by a labour union, as opposed to an unofficial strike at grassroots level.
• An official school is a school administered by the government or by a local authority, as opposite to a private school or religious school.
• An official history, for example of an institution or business, or particularly of a war or military unit, is a history written as a commission, with the assumption of co-operation with access to records and archives; but without necessarily full editorial independence.
• An official biography is usually on the same lines, written with access to private papers and the support of the family of the subject.

See also[link]

Look up official in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Bureaucrat
• Official culture
• official trip

Sources and references[link]

(incomplete)

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. 
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
• Etymology OnLine
• Pauly-Wissowa

Leigh Griffiths (born 20 August 1990) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a striker. He is signed to Football League Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Griffiths started his career at Livingston where he made his debut as a sixteen year old. He then moved to Dundee in 2009 for £125,000. During his five years in the Scottish First Division he earned six player of the month awards. In 2011 with Dundee in financial trouble, he moved to Wolves for around £150,000.

Club career[link]

Livingston[link]

Griffiths made his debut for Livingston as a sixteen-year-old, after coming on as an 82nd minute substitute during a 3–1 defeat to Airdrie United on 30 December 2006.^[4] He went on trial at Premier League team West Bromwich Albion in April 2009 and impressed enough to warrant a move. However, Tony Mowbray's departure as manager saw Griffiths' chance of a move ended.

Dundee[link]

On 25 June 2009, Griffiths completed a £125,000 move to Scottish First Division rivals Dundee,^[5] despite having an offer rejected for the player back in April.^[6] Griffiths later revealed that he had rejected contract talks with Hearts, citing his belief he would benefit from more first team football at Dundee and Hearts' then defensive playing style as the reasons.^[7] In 2009-10 he scored 3 goals to help Dundee win the Scottish Challenge Cup. In January 2011 Livingston claimed that they have yet to receive payment from Dundee. Dundee denied the claim but it raised doubt over the future transfer of the player at the time.^[8] Griffiths became a fans favourite during his spell at Dundee and scored 34 goals in 62 appearances, which included a memorable 30 yard free kick in the Scottish Cup against Rangers.

Wolverhampton Wanderers[link]

On 27 January 2011, Griffiths signed for English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers on a two-and-a-half year contract for an undisclosed fee (believed to be £150,000), after he successfully completed a two week trial.^[9] He was an unused substitute against Tottenham in March 2011, but has yet to feature in a league fixture for the club, or be part of any matchday squads since. To date, his only Wolves appearance was on 23 August 2011, when he came on as a substitute in a League Cup tie at Northampton Town.

Hibernian (loan)[link]

To gain playing time, he moved on loan in August 2011 to Scottish Premier League club Hibernian until 9 January.^[10] Three days before his loan was due to end, it was extended to the end of the season.^[11] Griffiths was criticised by the Hibs manager, Pat Fenlon, after he was suspended for a second time for gesturing at supporters.^[12] Later that month, Griffiths was suspended again for the same offence.^[13][14] In March 2012, newspaper reports claimed that Griffiths had assaulted Fenlon and his assistant,^[15] but these reports were denied by the club.^[16] Griffiths scored a late winning goal in the 2–1 win in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen.^[17]

International career[link]

Griffiths was selected for the Scotland B side that played Northern Ireland B at the end of the 2008–09 season, and he scored the third goal in a 3–0 win. He was a regular for Scotland at Under 19 level,^[18] and has since been selected to play for the Under 21 team. His first goal for Scotland U21 was on his second call up on 2 March 2010 where he equalised against Azerbaijan after being brought on as a substitution just a minute earlier.^[19]

Honours[link]

Dundee

• Scottish Challenge Cup: 2009-10

Individual

• Scottish Football League Young Player of the Month: March 2008, August 2008, March 2009, September 2009, October 2009, November 2010

Statistics[link]

As of 20 May 2012^[20]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official club profile
• Leigh Griffiths career stats at Soccerbase