say-so
Americannoun
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say-sos
plural
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one's personal statement or assertion.
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final authority; directing influence.
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an authoritative statement.
noun
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an arbitrary assertion
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an authoritative decision
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the authority to make a final decision
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of say-so
First recorded in 1630–40; originally, one's mere word on a matter, as opposed to proof
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.
See Examples For:
Anyone who said the fund was inoperative because of Blanche’s informal say-so is either ignorant or lying.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
“They don’t get a say-so in what the United States’s policy is,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
She confirmed in dramatic terms that Cohen and Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization’s then-chief financial officer, would not have cooked up the scheme to pay off the adult-film actor Stormy Daniels without Trump’s say-so.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2024
She didn’t even have the ability to make a reproductive decision because her miscarriage happened with no say-so from her at all.
From Slate ● Dec. 20, 2023
“You don’t make any major moves without my say-so, understood?”
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
"Who said?" asked Howland; "for I've more faith in some say-sos than in some others."
From Standish of Standish A story of the Pilgrims by Jane G. (Jane Goodwin) Austin
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.
