authorize

[ aw-thuh-rahyz ]

/ ˈɔ θəˌraɪz /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR authorize ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), au·thor·ized, au·thor·iz·ing.

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.

Nearby words

authority, authority control, authority figure, authority file, authorization, authorize, authorized, authorized capital, authorized version, authors, authorship

Also especially British, au·thor·ise.

Origin of authorize

1350–1400; earlier auctorize < Medieval Latin auctōrizāre; replacing Middle English autorisen < Middle French autoriser < Medieval Latin See author, -ize

Related forms

au·thor·iz·a·ble, adjectiveau·thor·iz·er, nounde·au·thor·ize, verb (used with object), de·au·thor·ized, de·au·thor·iz·ing.mis·au·thor·ize, verb (used with object), mis·au·thor·ized, mis·au·thor·iz·ing.

pre·au·thor·ize, verb (used with object), pre·au·thor·ized, pre·au·thor·iz·ing.re·au·thor·ize, verb (used with object), re·au·thor·ized, re·au·thor·iz·ing.self-au·thor·iz·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for authorize

The Senate will vote Tuesday on whether to authorize the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline.
The Pipeline From Hell: There’s No Good Reason to Build Keystone XL|Jack Holmes|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He then called on Congress to authorize a program to train and equip 5,000 rebels per year in Saudi Arabia, which they did.
Exclusive: America’s Allies Almost Bombed in Syrian Airstrikes|Josh Rogin|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If you miss your session, you authorize the app to charge your credit card or PayPal account.
4 Science-Backed Ways to Motivate Yourself to Work Out|DailyBurn|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
President Obama has asked Congress to authorize $500 million to train a new Syrian opposition out of Saudi Arabia.
Contractors Ready to Cash In On ISIS War|Eli Lake|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Obama relied on the September 14 resolution, like Bush, to authorize drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia.
Obama’s War in Iraq Marks the Return of the Global War on Terror|Eli Lake|August 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But this does not authorize the rational psychologist to affirm, from mere conceptions, its permanence beyond life.
The Critique of Pure Reason|Immanuel Kant
The law does not authorize municipalities to build houses and none of the communes have acquired land for this purpose.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 7|Various
If his outline is all right, I'm going to authorize him to set up this experiment.
The Lani People|J. F. Bone
I return without approval Senate bill No. 61, entitled "An act to authorize the election of women to school offices."
History of Woman Suffrage, Volume III (of III)|Various
This contract was necessary to authorize them to practice under my privilege.
The Invention of Lithography|Alois Senefelder

British Dictionary definitions for authorize

authorize

authorise

/ (ˈɔːθəˌraɪz) /

verb (tr)

to confer authority upon (someone to do something); empower

to permit (someone to do or be something) with official sanctiona dealer authorized by a manufacturer to retail his products

Derived Forms

authorization or authorisation, nounauthorizer or authoriser, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012