authority

American  

[uh-thawr-i-tee, uh-thor-] / əˈθɔr ɪ ti, əˈθɒr- /

noun

• authorities
  plural

1. the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine.

   Synonyms:

   persuasion, sway, power, rule

2. a power or right delegated or given; authorization.

   Who has the authority to grant permission?

3. a person or body of persons in whom authority is vested, as a governmental agency.

   The housing authority provides rental assistance payments to low-income residents.

   The bridges and piers are built and maintained by the Port Authority.

   Synonyms:

   arbiter, sovereign

4. Usually authorities persons having the legal power to make and enforce the law; government.

   They finally persuaded the authorities that they were not involved in espionage.

5. an accepted source of information, advice, etc..

   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the leading authority on vaccines and immunizations.

6. a quotation or citation from such a source.

7. an expert on a subject.

   He is an authority on baseball.

8. persuasive force; cogency.

   She spoke with authority.

9. a statute, court rule, or judicial decision that establishes a rule or principle of law; a ruling.

10. right to respect or acceptance of one's word, command, thought, etc.; commanding influence.

    the authority of a parent;

    the authority of a great writer.

11. mastery in execution or performance, as of a work of art or literature or a piece of music.

12. a warrant for action; justification.

13. testimony; witness.

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authority British  

/ ɔːˈθɒrɪtɪ /

noun

1. the power or right to control, judge, or prohibit the actions of others

2. (often plural) a person or group of people having this power, such as a government, police force, etc

3. a position that commands such a power or right (often in the phrase in authority )

4. such a power or right delegated, esp from one person to another; authorization

   she has his authority

5. the ability to influence or control others

   a man of authority

6. an expert or an authoritative written work in a particular field

   he is an authority on Ming china

7. evidence or testimony

   we have it on his authority that she is dead

8. confidence resulting from great expertise

   the violinist lacked authority in his cadenza

9. (capital when part of a name) a public board or corporation exercising governmental authority in administering some enterprise

   Independent Broadcasting Authority

10. law

    1. a judicial decision, statute, or rule of law that establishes a principle; precedent

    2. legal permission granted to a person to perform a specified act

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Usage

What are other ways to say authority? The noun authority refers to the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues. When should you use this noun over control or influence? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antiauthority
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• authorities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of authority

First recorded in 1200–50; earlier auct(h)oritie, from Latin auctōritās “power, influence, prestige,” equivalent to auctor “authority, originator, supporter” ( see author) + -itās -ity

Explanation

If you have the authority to do something, you have the right or power to do it. You are the big cheese. Or, if you know more about a topic than most, you are an authority on that topic. Giving someone authority grants them the power to make important decisions or have accepted opinions. When you leave your kids with a babysitter, you give her the authority to put them to bed at 7 p.m., no matter how much they insist you let them stay up until midnight. You'll feel more confident leaving the babysitter in charge of bedtime decisions if she's written two books on the subject and is an authority, or renowned expert, on children's sleep habits. Being an authority on children's sleep habits helps your babysitter enforce that 7 p.m. bedtime, but it may not convince the kids.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

authority authorities

Anticipating millions from the $1 insurance fee hike, the vehicle authority in 2023 asked law enforcement for advice on how best to spend the money.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

And as researchers work to build safeguards, AI has shown, in some scenarios, a willingness and capacity to subvert human authority.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

In 2023, El Nino forced the canal authority to reduce the number of daily crossings to 22 vessels.

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

The speech would later become Berry’s 1977 manifesto “The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture,” which launched a sustainable-farming movement and cemented Berry’s authority on agrarian issues on the national stage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

‘In disputes about natural phenomena,’ wrote Galileo, ‘one must not begin with the authority of scriptural passages, but with sensory experience and necessary demonstrations.’

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Foreign journalists cannot travel freely in China's Tibet Autonomous Region and may only visit as part of strictly controlled trips organised by the authorities.

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

Most crimes across Mexico went unsolved, and authorities sometimes appeared to be colluding with criminals instead of fighting them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said it was communicating with U.S. authorities about the Treasury’s allegations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

It has been proposed that health care in the islands would be absorbed by local authorities, though no decisions have been made on this.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

When the book was published Calvin contacted the authorities in Vienna and had the heretic imprisoned.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Related Words

• force
• government
• jurisdiction
• rule