authorized
AmericanOther Word Forms
Derived 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.
The FDA recently authorized the company to initiate an expanded access treatment protocol for daraxonrasib for eligible patients.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
“Appearance is paid for and authorized by each candidate and ballot measure which is designated by” an asterisk.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
This means the Mine Safety and Health Administration is authorized to inspect it, regulate it and fine the people who work there, as if they were at a mine pulling coal out of the earth.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
In the US, the FDA has authorized Valeda Light Delivery System, a different light based device for selected patients with dry AMD.
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
Passed in 1917, this law states that anyone who “willfully communicates or transmits” documents related to national defense to others who are not authorized to see them can be fined and/or sent to prison.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
