Trivia Time

Which 19th-century publication became an authority in the field of medicine?

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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

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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

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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

The spokesperson added: "The combined authority has established procedures for handling complaints about members and officers, which must be conducted fairly and independently."

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Comedy Central is a cable network not subject to Federal Communications Commission authority, unlike Stewart’s late-night cohort Jimmy Kimmel, who appears on ABC.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

The IPCC, a United Nations body, is the global authority on climate science.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

He spent years running public health services in the Detroit area and speaks eloquently and with authority about people’s struggles to afford healthcare, even writing a book about Medicare for All.

From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026

By this point, I think you understand how the boy felt about that word, about people in authority promising to do things for his own good.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

On Wednesday — 31 days later— the front section of the vehicle appeared to spontaneously catch on fire, authorities said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

The stakes of these decisions are higher at a time when U.S. authorities are trying to open private funds to more investors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

He is due to meet Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who says ministers in Cardiff should hand more powers to local authorities, later this month.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

After precious metals, cars are the country's second-biggest export earner to the United States, according to the South African tax authorities.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

When the brothers showed the vases to local authorities, they were told that they were obviously imitations of the real things.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

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Related Words

• force
• government
• jurisdiction
• rule

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