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definitions

authority

[uh-thawr-i-tee, uh-thor-]
See more synonyms for authority on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural au·thor·i·ties.
  1. the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine.
  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.
  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; conviction: 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.

Origin of authority

1200–50; earlier auct(h)oritie < Latin auctōritās; replacing Middle English autorite < Old French < L. See author, -ity
Related formsan·ti·au·thor·i·ty, adjective

Synonyms for authority

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1. rule, power, sway. 3. sovereign, arbiter.

Synonym study

1. Authority, control, influence denote a power or right to direct the actions or thoughts of others. Authority is a power or right, usually because of rank or office, to issue commands and to punish for violations: to have authority over subordinates. Control is either power or influence applied to the complete and successful direction or manipulation of persons or things: to be in control of a project. Influence is a personal and unofficial power derived from deference of others to one's character, ability, or station; it may be exerted unconsciously or may operate through persuasion: to have influence over one's friends.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for authority

jurisdiction, force, rule, government, judge, law, expert, pizzazz, right, weight, influence, clout, supremacy, juice, say-so, prerogative, esteem, zap, might, strength

Examples from the Web for authority

Contemporary Examples of authority

Historical Examples of authority

  • No man ventured to interfere with this lawful exercise of his authority.

    Philothea

    Lydia Maria Child

  • From that moment on, no Jew dared to question the authority of Moses.

    Ancient Man

    Hendrik Willem van Loon

  • So this part of my restraint was doubtless a stretch of the authority given him.

    Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)

    Samuel Richardson

  • It was unspeakably humiliating to be told that she had overstepped her authority.

  • But it was always my notion, that children should not dispute their parents' authority.

    Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)

    Samuel Richardson

British Dictionary definitions for authority

authority

noun plural -ties
  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; authorizationshe has his authority
  5. the ability to influence or control othersa man of authority
  6. an expert or an authoritative written work in a particular fieldhe is an authority on Ming china
  7. evidence or testimonywe have it on his authority that she is dead
  8. confidence resulting from great expertisethe violinist lacked authority in his cadenza
  9. (capital when part of a name) a public board or corporation exercising governmental authority in administering some enterpriseIndependent 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

Word Origin for authority

C14: from French autorité, from Latin auctōritas, from auctor author
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for authority
n.

early 13c., autorite "book or quotation that settles an argument," from Old French auctorité "authority, prestige, right, permission, dignity, gravity; the Scriptures" (12c.; Modern French autorité), from Latin auctoritatem (nominative auctoritas) "invention, advice, opinion, influence, command," from auctor "master, leader, author" (see author (n.)).

Usually spelled with a -c- in English till 16c., when it was dropped in imitation of the French. Meaning "power to enforce obedience" is from late 14c.; meaning "people in authority" is from 1610s. Authorities "those in charge, those with police powers" is recorded from mid-19c.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper