unauthorized
Americanadjective
-
lacking permission; unsanctioned.
unauthorized access.
-
lacking proper immigration or working papers: an unauthorized immigrant.
an unauthorized worker;
an unauthorized immigrant.
adjective
Sensitive Note
See illegal alien.
Etymology
Origin of unauthorized
First recorded in 1595–1600; un- 1 ( def. ) + authorized ( def. )
Explanation
If something is officially not approved, it's unauthorized. An unauthorized biography is written without the consent or cooperation of its subject. If a person lacks the authority to do something, you can describe them as unauthorized: "Sorry, I'm unauthorized to let you into the secret clubhouse." Otherwise, this adjective means "not permitted." Many unauthorized things are also illegal, like an online company's unauthorized use of personal information. To authorize is to give approval.
Vocabulary lists containing unauthorized
No Talking
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Novel Study: Their Eyes Were Watching God, Chapters 7–15
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Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun
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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.
In an Instagram post, the company said it had no involvement in the game and warned that it takes unauthorized use of its intellectual property seriously.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
Anthropic admitted last month that three different versions of its Claude model "gained unauthorized access" to outside organizations during testing that was supposed to keep them away from "real-world" systems.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Netflix said in a statement last month that it is conducting an investigation and is offering to monitor piracy sites for any unauthorized distribution or sale of the film.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Qin echoed that unauthorized use of surveillance data among law enforcement isn’t unprecedented.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
“Everyone at the Park has. And everyone working in conjunction with the Park. It ensures protection against espionage and the unauthorized disclosure of information.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and 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.
