authorization

American  

[aw-ther-uh-zey-shuhn] / ˌɔ θər əˈzeɪ ʃən /

especially British, authorisation

noun

authorizations plural

1. the act of authorizing.

2. permission or power granted by an authority; sanction.

3. a legislative act authorizing money to be spent for government programs that specifies a maximum spending level without provision for actual funds.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• deauthorization
  noun
• misauthorization
  noun
• preauthorization
  noun
• reauthorization
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• authorizations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of authorization

First recorded in 1600–10; authorize + -ation

Explanation

Authorization is an official form of approval for something. You'll probably need to get authorization from the owner of a coffee shop before you hang your oil paintings on the walls. People in control are known as authorities, and their official okay, or authorization, gives you the ability to do something. The authorization of a loan means the bank grants the loan. Authorization can also refer to someone's power — if you are able to fire people, you have the authorization to do so. At the root of authorization is the verb authorize, which comes from the Latin auctor, "master or leader," or "one who causes to grow."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

authorization authorizations

The Bureau of Land Management said in its authorization that repurposing the pipeline for water “would comply with all applicable statutes and regulations.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Barrasso’s spokesperson, Kate Noyes, claimed their 20-minute call covered everything from Senate races and the Platner scandal to Supreme Court rulings on coordinated spending limits and the upcoming defense authorization bill.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

Europeans are running studies on where they would store their data or process their payments should friction with the U.S. escalate, and how well their American-made weaponry would operate without Washington’s authorization.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Medicare beneficiaries will have to get a prescription from a doctor and go through a prior authorization process to determine their eligibility.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

The officers couldn’t really enforce a block without authorization.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Haitian immigrants across the country received an eleventh-hour relief Friday as the government extended work authorizations for Haitians with temporary protected status.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

The OIG report was based on 2024 data, and since then plans have voluntarily removed many prior authorizations, Donahue noted.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

Sinoguards operates under “applicable flag state authorizations and regulatory requirements relevant to its operational scope,” he told The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026

Fewer prior authorizations and a smoother pathway to care were reasons consumers preferred traditional Medicare.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 27, 2026

We are accelerating our highway improvement program as rapidly as possible under existing State and Federal laws and authorizations.

From State of the Union Address by Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David)

Related Words

• approval
• authority
• endorsement
• green light
• sanction
• signature