authorization

American  

[aw-ther-uh-zey-shuhn] / ˌɔ θər əˈzeɪ ʃən /

especially British, authorisation

noun

1. the act of authorizing.

2. permission or power granted by an authority; sanction.

3. a legislative act authorizing money to be spent for government programs that specifies a maximum spending level without provision for actual funds.

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Other Word Forms

• deauthorization noun
• misauthorization noun
• preauthorization noun
• reauthorization noun

Etymology

Origin of authorization

First recorded in 1600–10; authorize + -ation

Explanation

Authorization is an official form of approval for something. You'll probably need to get authorization from the owner of a coffee shop before you hang your oil paintings on the walls. People in control are known as authorities, and their official okay, or authorization, gives you the ability to do something. The authorization of a loan means the bank grants the loan. Authorization can also refer to someone's power — if you are able to fire people, you have the authorization to do so. At the root of authorization is the verb authorize, which comes from the Latin auctor, "master or leader," or "one who causes to grow."

Example Sentences

The new authorization supplements the roughly $6.8 billion remaining from a December 2024 repurchase program.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Net new orders for homes increased 3% to 8,034, and the board approved a $1.5 billion share repurchase authorization increase.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Barron’s is unaware of any sales under that authorization, and the view on Wall Street has been that the company is unlikely to sell any of that stock until after its earnings release.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

The WISeR program — which stands for Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction — is a CMS pilot program that introduced AI-driven prior authorization to traditional Medicare beneficiaries in six states earlier this year.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

Also, if you don’t already have an employment authorization card or a Social Security number, you can obtain both as part of your adjustment-of-status application.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Related Words

• approval
• authority
• endorsement
• green light
• sanction
• signature