Authority Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

The meaning of AUTHORITY is the power to give orders or make decisions : the power or right to direct or control someone or something. See more meanings of ... Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut authority noun SaveWord au·​thor·​i·​ty |\ə-ˈthȯr-ə-tē ,ȯ-,-ˈthär-\ pluralauthorities EssentialMeaningofauthority 1 :thepowertogiveordersormakedecisions:thepowerorrighttodirectorcontrolsomeoneorsomething Onlydepartmentmanagershavetheauthority[=right,power]tochangetheschedule.Doeshehavetheauthoritytodothis?=(US)Doeshehaveauthoritytodothis?SeeMoreExamplesThisofficehasauthorityoverpersonnelmatters.[=thisofficehasthepowertomakedecisionsaboutpersonnelmatters]Youdon'thaveauthorityoverme.[=youdon'thavethepowertogivemeorders]Thebossisnotpopularbuthisauthorityisunquestioned."Whogavehimtheauthoritytodothis?""Hedidn'tdoitonhisownauthority[=hedidn'tdoitonhisown];hewasactingundertheauthorityofthecompanypresident."[=thecompanypresidentgavehimthepowertodoit]Nooneinauthorityobjectedtotheplan.=Nooneinapositionofauthorityobjectedtotheplan.[=noonewithofficialpowertomakeimportantdecisionsobjectedtotheplan]afigureofauthority=anauthorityfigure[=apersonwhohasauthorityoverotherpeople]Hide 2 :theconfidentqualityofsomeonewhoknowsalotaboutsomethingorwhoisrespectedorobeyedbyotherpeople Shehasanairofauthority.Shespokewithauthority[=authoritatively]aboutthehistoryofthebuilding. 3 :aqualitythatmakessomethingseemtrueorreal Hissincerityaddedmuchmoreauthority[=credibility]tothestory.Hersouthernaccentlentauthoritytoherperformance.Hisopinionslackedauthority. FullDefinitionofauthority 1a :powertoinfluenceorcommandthought,opinion,orbehavior thepresident'sauthority b :freedomgrantedbyoneinauthority:right Whogaveyoutheauthoritytodoasyouwish? 2a :personsincommand specifically :government thelocalauthoritiesofeachstate b :agovernmentalagencyorcorporationtoadministerarevenue-producingpublicenterprise thetransitauthoritythecity'shousingauthority 3a :grounds,warrant hadexcellentauthorityforbelievingtheclaim b :convincingforce lentauthoritytotheperformance 4a(1) :acitation(asfromabookorfile)usedindefenseorsupport (2) :thesourcefromwhichthecitationisdrawn HequotedextensivelyfromtheBible,hissoleauthority. b(1) :aconclusivestatementorsetofstatements(suchasanofficialdecisionofacourt) (2) :adecisiontakenasaprecedent (3) :testimony c :anindividualcitedorappealedtoasanexpert Theprosecutorcalledthepsychiatristasanauthority. Synonyms&Antonyms ChoosetheRightSynonym MoreExampleSentences LearnMoreAboutauthority Synonyms&Antonymsforauthority Synonyms ace, adept, artist, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack (alsocrackajack), dab [chieflyBritish], dabhand [chieflyBritish], expert, fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, master, maven (alsomavin), meister, pastmaster, proficient, scholar, shark, sharp, virtuoso, whiz, wizard Antonyms amateur, inexpert, nonexpert VisittheThesaurusforMore  ChoosetheRightSynonymforauthority influence,authority,prestige,weight,creditmeanpowerexertedoverthemindsorbehaviorofothers.influencemayapplytoaforceexercisedandreceivedconsciouslyorunconsciously. usedherinfluencetogetthebillpassed authorityimpliesthepowerofwinningdevotionorallegianceorofcompellingacceptanceandbelief. hisopinionslackedauthority prestigeimpliestheascendancygivenbyconspicuousexcellenceorreputationforsuperiority. theprestigeofthenewspaper weightimpliesmeasurableordecisiveinfluenceindeterminingactsorchoices. theirwishesobviouslycarriedmuchweight creditsuggestsinfluencethatarisesfromtheconfidenceofothers. hiscreditwiththepress power,authority,jurisdiction,control,command,sway,dominionmeantherighttogovernorruleordetermine.powerimpliespossessionofabilitytowieldforce,authority,orinfluence. thepowertomoldpublicopinion authorityimpliespowerforaspecificpurposewithinspecifiedlimits. grantedtheauthoritytomanageherestate jurisdictionappliestoofficialpowerexercisedwithinprescribedlimits. thebureauhavingjurisdictionoverparks controlstressesthepowertodirectandrestrain. youareresponsibleforthestudentsunderyourcontrol commandimpliesthepowertomakearbitrarydecisionsandcompelobedience. thearmyofficerincommand swaysuggeststheextentofexercisedpowerorinfluence. theempireextendeditsswayovertheregion dominionstressessovereignpowerorsupremeauthority. givendominionoveralltheanimals ExamplesofauthorityinaSentence Thebossisnotpopularbuthisauthorityisunquestioned. Shehasanairofauthority. Hersouthernaccentlentauthoritytoherperformance. Wereportedtheincidenttohospitalauthorities. Localauthoritiesareinvestigatingtheaccident. SeeMore RecentExamplesontheWeb Nolongerisaleaderanauthoritybytitle,butbytrust. — PetraZink,Forbes,28Dec.2021 Theenshrinementoftestimonyinallitsguises—inmemoirs,confessionalpoetry,survivornarratives,talkshows—elevatedtraumafromasignofmoraldefecttoasourceofmoralauthority,evenakindofexpertise. — ParulSehgal,TheNewYorker,27Dec.2021 ThelessontotakefromDidionisoneofwildconviction:thekindofauthorityrareincontemporaryprose,discouragedinwomen,ravagedbyalbeitsandto-be-sures. — KerryHowley,Vulture,25Dec.2021 Andyet,unlikeGilliam’smasterpiece,Dupontelbringsanunwieldymixofabsurdismandsentimentalitytohiscritiqueofourtechnologydependance,mistrustofauthorityandlossofpurposeinthemodernworld. — MarkKeizer,Variety,24Dec.2021 ButJudgePeterCahillfoundseveralaggravatingfactors,includingthatChauvinabusedhispositionofauthorityandtreatedFloydwithparticularcruelty,andthatseveralchildrenwitnessedthecrimelive. — SteveKarnowski,ajc,23Dec.2021 Thelegalissuessurroundingtheexerciseoffederalauthoritycaninvolvedifferentquestions. — JessBravin,WSJ,23Dec.2021 ThestyleofartifactsindicatestheshipcamefromItaly,accordingtoJacobSharvit,headoftheauthority. — JordanMendoza,USATODAY,22Dec.2021 TheBidenadministrationcontendsitsrule-makingauthorityisfirmandsupersedesanystatepoliciesprohibitingvaccinerequirements. — DavidA.LiebAndGeoffMulvihill,chicagotribune.com,8Dec.2021 Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'authority.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. SeeMore FirstKnownUseofauthority 13thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedatsense4a HistoryandEtymologyforauthority MiddleEnglishauctorite,fromAnglo-Frenchauctorité,fromLatinauctoritat-,auctoritasopinion,decision,power,fromauctor—seeauthorentry1 LearnMoreAboutauthority Shareauthority PosttheDefinitionofauthoritytoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofauthorityonTwitter TimeTravelerforauthority Thefirstknownuseofauthoritywas inthe13thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury DictionaryEntriesNearauthority authoritative authority authorityfigure SeeMoreNearbyEntries  PhrasesRelatedtoauthority authorityfigure figureofauthority haveitongood/excellentauthority Statisticsforauthority LastUpdated 4Jan2022 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Authority.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authority.Accessed8Jan.2022. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsforauthority authority noun au·​thor·​i·​ty |\ə-ˈthȯr-ə-tē \ pluralauthorities KidsDefinitionofauthority 1 :powertoexercisecontrol 2 :apersonlookedtoasanexpert She'saleadingauthorityonfitness. 3 :peoplehavingpowerstomakedecisionsandenforcerulesandlaws Stateauthoritiesareinvestigatingthedisputedelection. 4 :afactorstatementusedtosupportaposition Whatisyourauthorityforthisargument? authority noun au·​thor·​i·​ty pluralauthorities Legal Definitionofauthority 1 :anofficialdecisionofacourtusedespeciallyasaprecedent 2a :apowertoactespeciallyoverothersthatderivesfromstatus,position,oroffice theauthorityofthepresident also :jurisdiction b :thepowertoactthatisofficiallyorformallygranted(asbystatute,corporatebylaw,orcourtorder) withinthescopeofthetreasurer'sauthoritypoliceofficersexecutingawarrant…arenotrequiredto“knockandannounce”theirauthorityandpurposesbeforeentering—NationalLawJournal c :powerandcapacitytoactgrantedbysomeoneinapositionofcontrol specifically :thepowertoactgrantedbyaprincipaltohisorheragent — actualauthority :theauthoritythataprincipalinrealityhasgrantedtoanagent — actualexpressauthority :theactualauthorityofanagentspecificallystatedorwrittenbytheprincipal — actualimpliedauthority :theactualauthorityofanagentthattheprincipalhasnotspecifiedbuthaspurposelyorthroughnegligenceallowedtheagenttobelievehasbeengranted — apparentauthority :theauthoritythataprincipalpurposelyorthroughnegligenceallowsathirdpartytobelievethattheprincipal'sagenthasalthoughsuchauthorityhasnotinrealitybeengranted —calledalso authoritybyestoppel,ostensibleauthority Note: Aprincipalisboundbytheactsofanagentactingwithapparentauthority. — expressauthority :authoritythatisexplicitlygrantedtoanagentbyaprincipal —calledalso expressedauthority,stipulatedauthority — impliedauthority :theauthoritytoperformactsthatarecustomary,necessary,andunderstoodbyanagentasauthorizedinperformingactsforwhichtheprincipalhasgivenexpressauthority — ostensibleauthority :apparentauthorityinthisentry — stipulatedauthority :expressauthorityinthisentry 3 :apersoninapositionofpowerandespeciallyapublicoffice —usuallyusedinpl. thelocalauthorities 4a :agovernmentagencyorcorporationthatadministersarevenue-producingpublicenterprise thetransitauthority b :agovernmentagencyorpublicofficeresponsibleforanareaofregulation shouldapplyforapermittothepermittingauthority MorefromMerriam-Websteronauthority Nglish:TranslationofauthorityforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofauthorityforArabicSpeakers Britannica.com:Encyclopediaarticleaboutauthority WORDOFTHEDAY layman SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! 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