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

In this authoritative, elegant biography, Daut meticulously combs the torrents of contemporary letters and broadsheets to draw a complex, contradictory portrait of Christophe, also known as King Henry. —Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025

The distant therapist Not too long ago, therapists acted like black boxes and authoritative gods. —David E. Tolchinsky, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2025

Psychologically, our pull toward dominant, authoritative figures taps into something primal. —Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025

Key among them is Hewitt, who oversees the authoritative website dedicated to the Cline catalogue. —Nancy Kruh, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025

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