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

Many young professors ceased to come across as authority figures, but presented themselves as contemporaries of their students, all but equals.

From The Wall Street Journal

Caught in the grip of challenging sociopolitical backdrops, his magnetic and brooding men — whether bold authority figures, conflicted everyday guys, notorious outlaws or those in positions of power — represent an affront to the status quo.

From Los Angeles Times

At other moments, when authority figures challenge her, she pushes right past them as if they weren’t even there.

From Los Angeles Times

A scam could be just a click away, and it’s possible that while someone might look like an authority figure on infant sleep on Instagram, they don’t have any training at all.

From Salon

Local authority figures show that the average lifespan for both women and men in these areas was up to 10 years lower than other wards in Derby.

From BBC