authorize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to give authority or official power to; empower.
to authorize an employee to sign purchase orders.
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to give authority for; formally sanction (an act or proceeding).
Congress authorized the new tax on tobacco.
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to establish by authority or usage.
an arrangement long authorized by etiquette books.
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to afford a ground for; warrant; justify.
verb
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to confer authority upon (someone to do something); empower
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to permit (someone to do or be something) with official sanction
a dealer authorized by a manufacturer to retail his products
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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self-authorizingadjective
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authorizableadjective
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misauthorizeverb (used with object)
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authorizationnoun
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authorizernoun
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reauthorizeverb (used with object)
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preauthorizeverb (used with object)
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deauthorizeverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has authorizedperfect 3rd person singular
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have authorizedperfect
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has been authorizingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been authorizingperfect progressive
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are authorizingprogressive
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authorizingparticiple
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am authorizingprogressive 1st person singular
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is authorizingprogressive 3rd person singular
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authorizessingular 3rd person
Past
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had authorizedperfect
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was authorizingprogressive singular
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authorizedparticiple
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were authorizingprogressive plural
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authorizedsimple
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had been authorizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of authorize
1350–1400; earlier auctorize < Medieval Latin auctōrizāre; replacing Middle English autorisen < Middle French autoriser < Medieval Latin See author, -ize
Explanation
To authorize is to give official approval or clearance for something. Authorizing can also delegate power to someone. Authorities are people with power, and to authorize is to use or grant some of that power to another. A visa authorizes you to visit a specific country. A search warrant authorizes the police to search a house. A doctor's note authorizes someone to miss work or school. Also, authorizing can be a form of delegating powers or responsibilities. The president of a company could authorize a worker to make a particular decision. Authorizing officially allows something to happen.
Vocabulary lists containing authorize
Quartering Act (1765)
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 1–January 7, 2022
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Maryland Toleration Act (1649)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He has repeatedly called for dialogue with protesters but on Wednesday announced a bill to declare a state of emergency, which would authorize military deployment to crack down and clear the blockades.
From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026
Anyone can drop off your mailed ballot as long as you authorize them to do so and they do not get paid on a per-ballot basis, according to the secretary of state.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
The episode became an instant viral phenomenon online, featuring appearances from Jack White, Jeff Daniels, Steve Buscemi, Byron Allen and Eminem, who appeared as “Marshall, the Fire Marshal” to authorize burning down the set.
From Salon • May 27, 2026
The U.S. government doesn’t typically authorize payments for vessels under sanctions.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
“I shall authorize a champion to undertake this perilous journey, to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back to camp. Or die trying.”
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
