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Showing results for power of attorney. Search instead for property attorney.
Synonyms

power of attorney

American  

noun

Law.

  1. a written document given by one person or party to another authorizing the latter to act for the former.

power of attorney British  

noun

  1. legal authority to act for another person in certain specified matters

  2. the document conferring such authority

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of power of attorney

First recorded in 1740–50

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 company did not ask separately about power of attorney in prior years.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Only 11% of adults reported having a durable financial power of attorney, according to Trust & Will’s 2026 survey.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Their thoughts instead turn to trusts and beneficiary designations for after-death instructions, and they focus heavily on the documents that come into play if you get sick, like power of attorney and a healthcare proxy.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

An attorney cannot just take over their client’s bank account because two doctors said so — a judge has to approve it — and a power of attorney document is not access to “free money.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

I hoped Mom would be in charge of whatever the power of attorney thing was.

From "Lawn Boy Returns" by Gary Paulsen

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.