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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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Martin Wheatley, the senior Financial Services Authority figure conducting the review, will report back next month on how the interest rate used to price financial products around the world can be reformed.

From The Guardian • Aug. 16, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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