authorized
AmericanOther Word 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.
When the British government authorized 38 new criminal charges against the Tates and submitted an updated extradition request to the Justice Department, the White House’s calculation was simple.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Department of Agriculture’s most recent farm-income forecast from February predicted that farmers would receive more than $20 billion through multi-year programs and other permanent legislation authorized by Congress.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
A person familiar with the school’s thinking but not authorized to speak publicly told The Times that the school plans to argue the field had outlived its usefulness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week that he authorized the journalists’ subpoenas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
H. G. Wells’s literary agent told the press that he never authorized changes to the original story that could cause such alarm.
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
