reauthorize

verb

re·​au·​tho·​rize (ˌ)rē-ˈȯ-thə-ˌrīz 

reauthorized; reauthorizing; reauthorizes

transitive verb

: to authorize (something or someone) again

especially : to renew the authority or effective legal power, warrant, or right of

called for Congress to reauthorize the Clean Water Act

Since passage, each law has been amended or "reauthorized," a confusing process under which existing statutes are reenacted with new language.

—Gregg Easterbrook

reauthorization

(ˌ)rē-ˌȯ-th(ə-)rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

plural reauthorizations

Congressional leaders are expected to continue negotiating a long-term reauthorization of the program in the coming weeks.

—Mike Debonis

Examples of reauthorize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lawmakers in Washington can help address this problem right now by reauthorizing a federal program that incentivizes pediatric rare disease research. —Joe and Courtney Dion, STAT, 10 June 2024

Then late last month, House Speaker Mike Johnson withdrew the vote for the bill, preventing even the minimal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act extension from being reauthorized before its expiration date. —Arlyssa D. Becenti, The Arizona Republic, 7 June 2024

Congress reauthorized Section 702 just after midnight on April 20th, minutes after the statute expired. —Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 2 May 2024

But the disclosures don’t appear to have worked: although the program was temporarily reauthorized, as of this writing, in March, permanent reauthorization remains stalled in Congress. —David V. Gioe, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above