authority

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

/ əˈθɔr ɪ ti, əˈθɒr- /

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See synonyms for: authority / authorities on Thesaurus.com

Definition of authority

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; cogency: 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR authority

1 rule, power, sway.

3 sovereign, arbiter.

8 persuasion, persuasiveness; convincingness.

See synonyms for authority on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of authority

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

OTHER WORDS FROM authority

an·ti·au·thor·i·ty, adjective

Words nearby authority

authoress, authoring, authoritarian, authoritarian personality, authoritative, authority, authority control, authority figure, authority file, authorization, authorize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say authority?

The noun authority refers to the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues. When should you use this noun over control or influence? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

How to use authority in a sentence

By doing so, Facebook has effectively taken away medical experts’ and doctors’ authority on health-related matters and handed it over to the general public.
Facebook tries to clean up Groups with new policies|Sarah Perez|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
State and federal agencies have somewhat overlapping authority to regulate coal industry pollution.
This Billionaire Governor’s Coal Company Might Get a Big Break From His Own Regulators|by Ken Ward Jr.|September 17, 2020|ProPublica
Now, when we get on the ground, we’re still under the command and control of the governor and the adjutant general, the top military officer of the Illinois National Guard, but we’re generally placed under a civilian authority at the emergency.
Mobilizing the National Guard Doesn’t Mean Your State Is Under Martial Law. Usually.|by Logan Jaffe|September 17, 2020|ProPublica
Like Wiley, Gostin said lawsuits over a governor’s legal authority and separation of powers are more likely to succeed than those about individual liberties.
Courts may reconsider temporary coronavirus restrictions as pandemic drags on|Anne Gearan, Karin Brulliard|September 16, 2020|Washington Post

However, in practice, we often see that the so-called YMYL websites already can’t rank without having some expertise and authority established.
Google ranking factors to change search in 2021: Core Web Vitals, E-A-T, or AMP?|Aleh Barysevich|September 16, 2020|Search Engine Watch
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
They selected an “easy mark” who turned out to be an off-duty NYC Housing Authority cop named James Carragher.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But the last national figure to wield ancient personal authority in an explicitly religious way was Robert F. Kennedy.
No Gods, No Cops, No Masters|James Poulos|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I have it on good authority these quotes are 100 percent accurate, if not 100 percent verbatim.
Forget the Resolutions; Try a Few Declarations|Kevin Bleyer|January 1, 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
A distinguished-looking man, evidently vested with authority, bustled forward and addressed him, civilly enough.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
"Here's my authority, yuh blasted runt," he yelled, and jerked his six-shooter to a level with the policeman's breast.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
"The authority of Mademoiselle de La Vauvraye," was the unanswerable rejoinder.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
In the next chapter he gives his twelve disciples authority over demons.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
That of M. Charles Guenllette is the authority followed here.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement

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

authority

Definition of authority

OTHER WORDS FOR authority

Origin of authority

OTHER WORDS FROM authority

Words nearby authority

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say authority?

Words related to authority

How to use authority in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for authority

Word Origin for authority