authorized
AmericanOther Word Forms
Derived 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.
You and the person you’ve authorized to submit your mailed ballot must fill and sign the outside of the ballot envelope.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
The FDA recently authorized the company to initiate an expanded access treatment protocol for daraxonrasib for eligible patients.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
In the US, the FDA has authorized Valeda Light Delivery System, a different light based device for selected patients with dry AMD.
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
He didn’t say much else, except to repeat that she would get the best care, as if that was all he had been authorized to say.
From Salon • May 27, 2026
“I told them they’re not authorized to be up here,” he explains.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
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.
