Today’s Spanish word of the day is “oficial”.
It can be an adjective meaning “official”, or a noun meaning “officer”. As a noun, it can also refer to craftspeople who have completed an apprenticeship but haven’t yet reached the level of “maestro”.
The word “oficial” comes from Late Latin officialis meaning “pertaining to duty”, which is the same root as several English words including “official” and “office”.
Example sentences
El oficial de policía llegó a la escena.
The police officer arrived at the scene.
El idioma oficial de México es el español.
The official language of Mexico is Spanish.
Algunas personas son escépticas ante cualquier cosa “oficial”.
Some people are skeptical of anything “official.”
El oficial dio la orden de avanzar.
The officer gave the order to advance.
El anuncio será oficial mañana.
The announcement will be official tomorrow.