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.
Udio said it would create a new platform that would train on licensed and authorized music with artists having the ability to opt-in.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
Sixth Wall is actively accepting requests for authorized character access across a range of use cases including interactive storytelling, conversational games and connected physical products and robotics.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
The FDA recently authorized the company to initiate an expanded access treatment protocol for daraxonrasib for eligible patients.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 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
It remains the law in Alabama, where judges almost exclusively use this power to turn life sentences into death sentences, although they're also authorized to reduce death verdicts to life if they so choose.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
