unauthorized
Americanadjective
-
lacking permission; unsanctioned.
unauthorized access.
-
lacking proper immigration or working papers: an unauthorized immigrant.
an unauthorized worker;
an unauthorized immigrant.
adjective
Sensitive Note
See illegal alien.
Etymology
Origin of unauthorized
First recorded in 1595–1600; un- 1 ( def. ) + authorized ( def. )
Explanation
If something is officially not approved, it's unauthorized. An unauthorized biography is written without the consent or cooperation of its subject. If a person lacks the authority to do something, you can describe them as unauthorized: "Sorry, I'm unauthorized to let you into the secret clubhouse." Otherwise, this adjective means "not permitted." Many unauthorized things are also illegal, like an online company's unauthorized use of personal information. To authorize is to give approval.
Vocabulary lists containing unauthorized
No Talking
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Novel Study: Their Eyes Were Watching God, Chapters 7–15
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Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun
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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.
A string of unauthorized actions by AI agents has added urgency to that debate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
Last month, Amazon blocked Muse from its site, with users shown a notice saying unauthorized AI agents violate Amazon’s conditions of use.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Instructure eventually announced it reached a deal with “the unauthorized actor involved” to return the compromised data, but didn’t say who that actor was or whether payment was involved.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
The filing cites items that were seized from her home in a federal investigation with no assurance that they will be returned, as well as unauthorized people who gained access to her Los Angeles residence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Tea Cake’s house was a magnet, the unauthorized center of the “job.”
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
