authorized
AmericanOther Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of authorized
Explanation
Something that's authorized is officially approved. If the principal of your school has given you the go-ahead to throw a Hawaiian-themed party, you can call it an authorized luau. The adjective authorized comes from the verb authorize, which means "give formal approval or sanction to." Both words go back to the Latin root auctor, "authority." So when an authority grants her approval or permission to do something, it becomes authorized. You'll need an authorized passport if you want to travel to a foreign country.
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.
Deandre Ayton is picking up his player option for $8.1 million and returning to the Lakers, according to people not authorized to publicly discuss on decision.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026
The bank said the corporate loan was the largest the EIB has ever authorized after Airbus made its request six months ago.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026
On Monday, Strategy said its board of directors has authorized a “BTC Monetization Program” which allows the company to sell bitcoin “from time to time.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 29, 2026
"Several of the children arrive on their own because they are brought quickly from the place where they are rescued," according to a doctor who requested anonymity because staff are not authorized to give statements.
From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026
Since we had been authorized to use the aircars, Heo Hew and three others had taken one and flown over to Sith and the Archipelago, nations of the Sea Hemisphere, which I had entirely neglected.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
