authoritative

au·thor·i·ta·tive | \ ə-ˈthȯr-ə-ˌtā-tiv

, ȯ-, -ˈthär- \

Definition of authoritative

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

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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 Via these accomplishments, Tong has become -- literally and figuratively -- one of the world's most authoritative voices on dance music as the music has soared in worldwide popularity. — Katie Bain, Billboard, "20 Questions With Pete Tong: The Dance Icon on Chilling Out, Finding Hits & Why DJs Need to Become Scarcer," 6 Dec. 2019 But with investors demanding a more authoritative response, Wirecard turned to KPMG for an audit. — Washington Post, "Why Germany’s Wirecard Is No Stranger to Controversy," 21 Oct. 2019 But they were pushed aside for me in the moment when hearing Gershwin’s masterpiece on Monday, especially in a performance so authoritative and gripping. — Vogue, "Laverne Cox, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and More Spent the Night at the Opera for the Met’s Premiere of “Porgy and Bess”," 25 Sep. 2019 For all their shortcomings, legal rulings are often seen as legitimate, authoritative and enforceable because of the independence of the judiciary. — The Economist, "Make a healthy climate a legal right that extends to future generations," 17 Sep. 2019 And her book is among the most authoritative and comprehensive accounts of Kim — both as a man and as a dictator — in years. — Alex Ward, Vox, "The secret life of Kim Jong Un," 20 June 2019 In his most authoritative comments about the Broncos’ future, CEO/president Joe Ellis said Monday that if Brittany Bowlen does not rise to the role of controlling owner, the next move would be to put the team up for sale. — Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post, "Broncos Insider: Ranking Denver’s 2019 games, from worst to best," 31 Dec. 2019 Earlier this year Billboard announced plans to launch the Global 100, the first authoritative chart ranking the world's top songs. — Colin Stutz, Billboard, "Billboard Parent Company Valence Media Acquires Nielsen Music," 18 Dec. 2019 Accidental Empires by Robert Cringely was the most authoritative account of the rise of Bill Gates and his top competitors. — Adam Lashinsky, Fortune, "When the Present Becomes a William Gibson Sci-Fi Novel," 17 Dec. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'authoritative.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.