authority

[ uh-thawr-i-tee, uh-thor- ]

/ əˈθɔr ɪ ti, əˈθɒr- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR authority ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural au·thor·i·ties.

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

a power or right delegated or given; authorization: Who has the authority to grant permission?

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.

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.

an accepted source of information, advice, etc.: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the leading authority on vaccines and immunizations.

a quotation or citation from such a source.

an expert on a subject: He is an authority on baseball.

persuasive force; conviction: She spoke with authority.

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

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.

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

a warrant for action; justification.

testimony; witness.

Nearby words

authorise, authoritarian, authoritarian personality, authoritarianism, authoritative, authority, authority control, authority figure, authority file, authorization, authorize

Origin of authority

1200–50; earlier auct(h)oritie < Latin auctōritās; replacing Middle English autorite < Old French < L. See author, -ity

SYNONYMS FOR authority

1 rule, power, sway.

3 sovereign, arbiter.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR authority ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsan·ti·au·thor·i·ty, adjective

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for authority

You get these high-profile people that go into prison, and the staff abuse their authority.
How a ‘Real Housewife’ Survives Prison: ‘I Don’t See [Teresa Giudice] Having a Cakewalk Here’|Michael Howard|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But the authority of his name far exceeds that of our own, famous or obscure though we be.
No Gods, No Cops, No Masters|James Poulos|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Only two senators opposed the resolution, which the administration later claimed was the authority for a full-scale war.
The World’s Toughest Political Quiz|Jeff Greenfield|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Too moderate and the more radical groups call you a snitch, jeopardizing your standing and authority at demonstrations.
De Blasio and the New York City Protesters Have No Blood on Their Hands|Jacob Siegel|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

There is the will of the people; the resolve of the political class; the courage of the media; and the authority of the courts.
The U.S. Will Torture Again—and We’re All to Blame|Michael Tomasky|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When a senator assumes to speak for the President, every senator possesses a public right to demand his authority for so doing.
Thirty Years' View (Vol. II of 2)|Thomas Hart Benton
An incident, illustrative of his summary methods of dealing with the insolence of his enemies in authority, occurred at Pensacola.
The Battle of New Orleans|Zachary F. Smith
There was no authority in his eyes, not even when he told her not to catch cold.
Cecilia|F. Marion Crawford
Are specially promising youths to be set apart from early childhood to prepare themselves for these positions of authority?
The Behavior of Crowds|Everett Dean Martin
He was the agent of a vast and centralized authority, an authority against which there could be no opposition.
The Shadow|Arthur Stringer

British Dictionary definitions for authority

authority

/ (ɔːˈθɒrɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

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

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

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

such a power or right delegated, esp from one person to another; authorizationshe has his authority

the ability to influence or control othersa man of authority

an expert or an authoritative written work in a particular fieldhe is an authority on Ming china

evidence or testimonywe have it on his authority that she is dead

confidence resulting from great expertisethe violinist lacked authority in his cadenza

(capital when part of a name) a public board or corporation exercising governmental authority in administering some enterpriseIndependent Broadcasting Authority

law

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

authority

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.

authority

noun, plural au·thor·i·ties.

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Nearby words

Origin of authority

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for authority

British Dictionary definitions for authority

authority

noun plural -ties

Word Origin for authority

Word Origin and History for authority

authority