authority figure

American  

noun

1. a person whose real or apparent authority over others inspires or demands obedience and emulation.

   Parents, teachers, and police officers are traditional authority figures for children.

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Example Sentences

Campo messaged a business partner that August to tell a potential client that Malpica was “presently the maximum authority figure there. Because he is a Flores.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

If a teacher, coach or other authority figure tells a student that they have to use a website or an app, then the student cannot realistically opt out, King said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

"We asked people: 'Should it be a woman? Should it be a man? Should it be a robot? Should it sound like a lawyer, a social worker, a journalist, or another authority figure?'"

From BBC • Nov. 2, 2025

Separating this “part” of herself from her capital-S “Self,” allowed her to meet it with compassion and even thank it for protecting her against the threat it had identified in an authority figure.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2024

The moment any authority figure challenged Cade's control over things, the game was on.

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith