unofficial
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unofficial
Not confirmed, approved, or made public by an official body; having a private or personal character.
Obwohl es keine offizielle Ansage gab, war die Entscheidung inoffiziell bereits bekannt.
Although there was no official announcement, the decision was already unofficially known.
The word is the opposite of 'offiziell' (official). The prefix 'in-' works here like 'un-' and negates the base word.
Die Verhandlungen fanden inoffiziell statt.
The negotiations took place unofficially.
'Inoffiziell' (unofficial/unofficially) is very often used as an adverb to modify a verb. It describes that an action does not happen through official channels.
Er hat mir die Neuigkeit schon gestern inoffiziell mitgeteilt.
He unofficially told me the news yesterday.
When it comes to information, 'inoffiziell' (unofficial) is often combined with nouns such as 'Gespräch' (conversation), 'Treffen' (meeting), 'Quelle' (source), or 'Bestätigung' (confirmation).
Es gibt Gerüchte, aber noch keine inoffizielle Bestätigung des Wechsels.
There are rumors, but still no unofficial confirmation of the transfer.
To describe a non-formal but recognized role, 'inoffiziell' (unofficial) is placed directly before a person designation. Typical examples are 'der inoffizielle Chef' (the unofficial boss) or 'die inoffizielle Sprecherin' (the unofficial spokesperson).
Sie ist die inoffizielle Anführerin unseres Teams, weil alle auf ihren Rat hören.
She is the unofficial leader of our team because everyone listens to her advice.
official
'offiziell' and 'inoffiziell' are direct opposites. Use 'offiziell' when something has been confirmed, approved, or made public by the responsible body. Use 'inoffiziell' when something has not yet been confirmed, or is known only casually, privately, or unofficially. Sometimes something is already clear 'inoffiziell' (unofficially), but has not yet been formally decided. The difference is important for news, results, roles, and decisions.
Nach der Arbeit haben wir inoffiziell erfahren, wer die neue Teamleiterin wird.
After work, we unofficially found out who the new team leader will be.
Die Fahrerin hat den Unfall heute offiziell bei der Polizei gemeldet.
The driver officially reported the accident to the police today.