authority

noun
UK: /ɔːˈθɒr.ə.ti/
US: /əˈθɔːr.ə.ti/

  1. The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.

    1. The teacher has authority in the classroom. [ ] [ ]
    2. The president has the authority to sign the bill into law after its passage. [ ] [ ]

  2. A person or organization having power or control, especially in a particular sphere.

    1. She's an authority on 18th-century literature. [ ] [ ]
    2. The local health authority is responsible for controlling disease outbreaks in the region. [ ] [ ]

  3. Official permission or sanction.

    1. They acted without authority. [ ] [ ]
    2. The construction of the new building proceeded only after securing the necessary authority from the council. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

power right command specialist control permission influence expert
authority transitive-verb

  1. To give official permission for something.

    1. I am authorized to make changes. [ ] [ ]
    2. The CEO must authority the release of the new product to the market. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "authority" in English means: The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience., A person or organization having power or control, especially in a particular sphere., Official permission or sanction..

The phonetic transcription of "authority" is /ɔːˈθɒr.ə.ti/ in British English and /əˈθɔːr.ə.ti/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "authority": power, right, command, specialist, control, permission, influence, expert.

Example usage of "authority": "The teacher has authority in the classroom.". More examples on the page.