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.
Added to that is “relentless” demand by the passive ETF crowd, while companies have authorized more than $1 trillion in share buybacks in a window that is about to open.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
The researchers have applied for patents covering the technology in several countries, and two patents have already been authorized.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
Congress authorized reconstruction after the British burned the White House during the War of 1812 and specifically appropriated money used to construct the original East and West Wings.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
They acquired journeyman backstop Ben Rortvedt from the Mets for right-hander Chayce McDermott, a person with knowledge of the situation who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly confirmed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
She was counted among the S.O.B.—Souls On Board—when the lads took off, but she certainly wasn’t authorized to be there coaxing along the novice bombing crews as they practiced low flying over the high moors.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
