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Which 19th-century publication became an authority in the field of medicine?

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authority

American  

[uh-thawr-i-tee, uh-thor-] / əˈθɔr ɪ ti, əˈθɒr- /

noun

• authorities
  plural

1. 

   the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine.

   Synonyms:

   persuasion, sway, power, rule

2. a power or right delegated or given; authorization.

   Who has the authority to grant permission?

3. a person or body of persons in whom authority is vested, as a governmental agency.

   The housing authority provides rental assistance payments to low-income residents.

   The bridges and piers are built and maintained by the Port Authority.

   Synonyms:

   arbiter, sovereign

4. Usually authorities persons having the legal power to make and enforce the law; government.

   They finally persuaded the authorities that they were not involved in espionage.

5. an accepted source of information, advice, etc..

   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the leading authority on vaccines and immunizations.

6. a quotation or citation from such a source.

7. an expert on a subject.

   He is an authority on baseball.

8. persuasive force; cogency.

   She spoke with authority.

9. a statute, court rule, or judicial decision that establishes a rule or principle of law; a ruling.

10. right to respect or acceptance of one's word, command, thought, etc.; commanding influence.

    the authority of a parent;

    the authority of a great writer.

11. mastery in execution or performance, as of a work of art or literature or a piece of music.

12. a warrant for action; justification.

13. testimony; witness.

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authority British  

/ ɔːˈθɒrɪtɪ /

noun

1. the power or right to control, judge, or prohibit the actions of others

2. (often plural) a person or group of people having this power, such as a government, police force, etc

3. a position that commands such a power or right (often in the phrase in authority )

4. such a power or right delegated, esp from one person to another; authorization

   she has his authority

5. the ability to influence or control others

   a man of authority

6. an expert or an authoritative written work in a particular field

   he is an authority on Ming china

7. evidence or testimony

   we have it on his authority that she is dead

8. confidence resulting from great expertise

   the violinist lacked authority in his cadenza

9. (capital when part of a name) a public board or corporation exercising governmental authority in administering some enterprise

   Independent Broadcasting Authority

10. law

    1. a judicial decision, statute, or rule of law that establishes a principle; precedent

    2. legal permission granted to a person to perform a specified act

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Usage

What are other ways to say authority? The noun authority refers to the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues. When should you use this noun over control or influence? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antiauthority
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• authorities
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of authority

First recorded in 1200–50; earlier auct(h)oritie, from Latin auctōritās “power, influence, prestige,” equivalent to auctor “authority, originator, supporter” ( see author) + -itās -ity

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Explanation

If you have the authority to do something, you have the right or power to do it. You are the big cheese. Or, if you know more about a topic than most, you are an authority on that topic. Giving someone authority grants them the power to make important decisions or have accepted opinions. When you leave your kids with a babysitter, you give her the authority to put them to bed at 7 p.m., no matter how much they insist you let them stay up until midnight. You'll feel more confident leaving the babysitter in charge of bedtime decisions if she's written two books on the subject and is an authority, or renowned expert, on children's sleep habits. Being an authority on children's sleep habits helps your babysitter enforce that 7 p.m. bedtime, but it may not convince the kids.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

authority authorities

The weather authority said fire danger would remain through much of the day Saturday, warning residents to be prepared for emergency evacuations.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

Federal prosecutors said Alfozan had no authority to access the conference room, which could only be booked by executives and their assistants.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Mejia’s subpoena, issued under his City Charter authority, came two and a half weeks after officials at LA28, the Olympic organizing committee, rejected his previous request to disclose the information.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

"I just don't think you can have the right level of challenge or the right level of guidance if the local authority itself is very, very small," he says.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Never before had students felt so much power over adults and school authority.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Israeli authorities said a police investigation is under way.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

The hearings scrutinised authorities that had interactions with Calocane in the years before the attacks, laying bare failures and missed opportunities by agencies, including the NHS and police.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

According to Teymouri, authorities have video footage of Xuan walking through a room of the kids sleeping in rows and sweeping a flashlight, “like a warden.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

In Paris, where the authorities have banned protests around government buildings, the Champs-Elysees shopping avenue and train stations, police detained around 60 people on Saturday morning.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

The authorities came and said, “You must send a boy to school. Choose.”

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

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Related Words

• force
• government
• jurisdiction
• rule

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