authoritative

adjective

au·​thor·​i·​ta·​tive ə-ˈthȯr-ə-ˌtā-tiv 

ȯ-,

-ˈthär-

1

: having, marked by, or proceeding from authority

authoritative church doctrines

an authoritative decision

an authoritative manner

2

: possessing recognized or evident authority : clearly accurate or knowledgeable

an authoritative critique

an authoritative source of information

authoritatively adverb

authoritativeness noun

Synonyms

• classic
• classical
• definitive
• magisterial

Examples of authoritative in a Sentence

The book is an authoritative guide to the city's restaurants.

His manner is polite but authoritative.

She addressed the group with an authoritative voice.

Recent Examples on the Web

Link to authoritative sources Most readers tend to be more trusting of content that links to authoritative sources. —Jon Stojan, The Arizona Republic, 12 June 2024

So now the Fortune 500—the world’s most authoritative business list—measures all industries. —Fortune Editors, Fortune, 4 June 2024

Long used as a vital resource by banks, dealerships and courts, Kelley Blue Book would become not just a go-to resource for the industry, but become the authoritative source in valuing nearly anything on wheels. —Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2024

But the series’s real stakes are in how Jo handles that decisiveness personally, and in how her version of motherhood (authoritative, fierce, warm) morphs and adapts to her own changing sense of self. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

authority + -ative

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

authoritative

adjective

au·​thor·​i·​ta·​tive ə-ˈthär-ə-ˌtāt-iv 

ȯ-,

-ˈthȯr-

: having or coming from authority

authoritatively adverb

authoritativeness noun