authoritative

adjective

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

, ȯ-, -ˈthȯr-\

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

Other Words from authoritative Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about authoritative

Keep scrolling for more

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

Many of these were first studied and described by psychologist Diana Baumrind, who observed preschoolers and found there were three types of parents: authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "Five Types of Parenting Styles, Explained — And How They Affect Kids, According to Experts," 1 Apr. 2019 For example, employees facing extreme threats or intense time pressure might perform better when a leader takes a more authoritative, top-down approach, Dr. Owens says. — Sue Shellenbarger, WSJ, "The Best Bosses Are Humble Bosses," 9 Oct. 2018 The term was developed by psychologist Diana Baumrind, who studied preschoolers and found their parents mostly fit into three parenting styles: authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "What Is Permissive Parenting? Experts Say This Parenting Style Fails Kids," 11 Dec. 2018 This is different from Hollywood studios with theatrical releases, whose box office numbers are certified by authoritative box office tracking firms. — Julia Alexander, The Verge, "Netflix says over 45 million accounts watched Bird Box — here’s what that means," 30 Dec. 2018 Butler is as authoritative as usual in the role of the captain, a working-class skipper who didn’t go to Annapolis but rather worked his way up through the ranks. — Soren Andersen, The Seattle Times, "‘Hunter Killer’: Gerard Butler leads a wild submarine ride," 25 Oct. 2018 The period detail is authoritative—you’ll close the book with a cache of unexpected knowledge about the tobacco, the spectacles and the concert pianos of the era—but rarely cumbersome. — Sam Sacks, WSJ, "Fiction Books: Grace Abounding to the Outsider Artist," 5 Oct. 2018 How to Get Started As an Authoritative Parent Want to start incorporating authoritative parenting techniques into your approach? — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "What Is Authoritative Parenting? Experts Say It's the Best of All Worlds," 16 Nov. 2018 History is a mosaic of individual accounts of past events — not necessarily the most trenchant or authoritative accounts, but simply the ones that archivists could find. — Alex Kingsbury, BostonGlobe.com, "You’ve got mail — for now," 10 May 2018

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.