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 of authoritative

• definitive
• classical
• accurate
• comprehensive
• classic
• magisterial
• official

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

The Pitchfork review has always been authoritative. —Mano Sundaresan, Pitchfork, 20 Jan. 2026

From the Middle East to Latin America, ordinary people are turning to USDT to hide and preserve their wealth from authoritative regimes and shield themselves against hyperinflation. —Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 19 Jan. 2026

This shift from a general-purpose language model and coding agents to a system integrated with authoritative databases in healthcare and private medical records, represents the embedding of AI into everyday living. —Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026

But Egler had his share of scoops as well, his byline signaling authoritative reporting. —Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

authority + -ative

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for authoritative

• accommodative
• accumulative
• adjudicative
• administrative
• agglutinative
• ameliorative
• appreciative
• assimilative
• associative
• collaborative
• cooperative
• deliberative

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