authorize
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to give authority or official power to; empower.
to authorize an employee to sign purchase orders.
-
to give authority for; formally sanction (an act or proceeding).
Congress authorized the new tax on tobacco.
-
to establish by authority or usage.
an arrangement long authorized by etiquette books.
-
to afford a ground for; warrant; justify.
verb
-
to confer authority upon (someone to do something); empower
-
to permit (someone to do or be something) with official sanction
a dealer authorized by a manufacturer to retail his products
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
authorizesimple
-
authorizessimple
-
have authorizedperfect
-
has authorizedperfect
-
am authorizingprogressive
-
are authorizingprogressive
-
is authorizingprogressive
-
have been authorizingperfect progressive
-
has been authorizingperfect progressive
Past
-
authorizedsimple
-
had authorizedperfect
-
was authorizingprogressive
-
were authorizingprogressive
-
had been authorizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of authorize
1350–1400; earlier auctorize < Medieval Latin auctōrizāre; replacing Middle English autorisen < Middle French autoriser < Medieval Latin See author, -ize
Explanation
To authorize is to give official approval or clearance for something. Authorizing can also delegate power to someone. Authorities are people with power, and to authorize is to use or grant some of that power to another. A visa authorizes you to visit a specific country. A search warrant authorizes the police to search a house. A doctor's note authorizes someone to miss work or school. Also, authorizing can be a form of delegating powers or responsibilities. The president of a company could authorize a worker to make a particular decision. Authorizing officially allows something to happen.
Vocabulary lists containing authorize
Quartering Act (1765)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 1–January 7, 2022
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Maryland Toleration Act (1649)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The White House did not respond to a request seeking comment on whether Trump would authorize humanitarian relief for Venezuelan immigrants.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026
JPMorgan said it would authorize a new $50 billion buyback program.
From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026
But that is not, in fact, how Harlan meant it: In context, his broader argument was that permitting Jim Crow segregation would authorize a racial “caste” forbidden by the 14th Amendment.
From Slate • Jun. 22, 2026
It reads as if the author wished not to bug Mr. Trudeau, who certainly cooperated with the book but did not authorize it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
“I shall authorize a champion to undertake this perilous journey, to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back to camp. Or die trying.”
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
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.
