official
/əˈfɪʃəl/
Very CommonIn a committed, labeled relationship that both people acknowledge publicly.
Often marks the end of the talking stage or situationship. The 'are we official' conversation is a recognized milestone in dating culture.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | we're official now. finally. took him four months to ask. | After a long period of ambiguity, the relationship has been formally established. | instagram, 2024 |
| 02 | when do you ask someone to make it official or do they ask you | Asking about the etiquette of initiating the relationship conversation. | reddit, 2023 |
| 03 | she said yes when I asked if we were official. best day fr. | The speaker had the defining conversation and the other person agreed to be in a relationship. | x, 2024 |
| 04 | I thought we were official but he introduced me as his 'friend' so | The speaker believed they were in a relationship but the other person has not acknowledged it publicly. | tiktok, 2024 |
Use it when
- Two people have agreed to be in a relationship and have said so.
- Announcing or asking about whether a relationship has been labeled.
- Distinguishing labeled commitment from a situationship or talking stage.
Do not use it when
- They agreed to stop seeing others but have not labeled it.Use “exclusive” instead.
- They are in a relationship but have kept it private.
Official vs exclusive
official
Official is the public label. Both people call each other their partner.
VS
exclusive
Exclusive is the behavioral agreement. Both have stopped seeing others but may not have the label.
Origin and context
Standard English word adopted in dating culture to describe the moment a relationship gets its label. The 'making it official' phrase became a recognized dating milestone in the 2010s.
- First seen
- 2010s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/officialUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0