authorized
AmericanOther Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of authorized
Explanation
Something that's authorized is officially approved. If the principal of your school has given you the go-ahead to throw a Hawaiian-themed party, you can call it an authorized luau. The adjective authorized comes from the verb authorize, which means "give formal approval or sanction to." Both words go back to the Latin root auctor, "authority." So when an authority grants her approval or permission to do something, it becomes authorized. You'll need an authorized passport if you want to travel to a foreign country.
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.
Even if the plan is successfully implemented, it would take years to restore the reserve—currently sitting at about 286 million barrels—to its authorized capacity of 714 million barrels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The challenged conduct is the construction itself, and every additional stage of building changes the facts on the ground while the courts decide whether the project was lawfully authorized in the first place.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
The current regulations are explicit: Stars and Stripes reporters are authorized to report on the Defense Department “good and bad.”
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
Likewise, if the lawyer has contemporaneous notes stating the client authorized settlement, those could support the lawyer’s position.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
“I’ll just need some ID to make sure you’re authorized to open it.”
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
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.
