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.

---

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 • Feb. 22, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

"We asked people: 'Should it be a woman? Should it be a man? Should it be a robot? Should it sound like a lawyer, a social worker, a journalist, or another authority figure?'"

From BBC • Nov. 2, 2025

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 • Sep. 20, 2025

On my first day on the job, I walked into my classroom and tried to present myself as an authority figure, someone confident and intelligent, but inside I was a nervous wreck.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad