authority figure

American  

noun

1. a person whose real or apparent authority over others inspires or demands obedience and emulation.

   Parents, teachers, and police officers are traditional authority figures for children.

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Example Sentences

If a teacher, coach or other authority figure tells a student that they have to use a website or an app, then the student cannot realistically opt out, King said.

From Los Angeles Times

One important proposal: Let parents who choose to expose their wannabe-elite athlete children to unaccountable authority figures, in pursuit of college athletic scholarships and Olympic glory, do so on their own dime.

From Salon

But they can also be challenging for people — especially authority figures — who are trying to pin them down.

From Los Angeles Times

Local authority figures suggest 1,800 homes could be lost in the next 80 years in East Suffolk and North Norfolk.

From BBC

There’s almost no authority figure or august body in our society in which most people have confidence.

From The Wall Street Journal