plural authorities
Definition of authority
1a : power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior
the president's authority
b : freedom granted by one in authority : right Who gave you the authority to do as you wish?
b : a governmental agency or corporation to administer a revenue-producing public enterprise
the transit authority the city's housing authority
b : convincing force
lent authority to the performance
4a(1) : a citation (as from a book or file) used in defense or support
(2) : the source from which the citation is drawn
He quoted extensively from the Bible, his sole authority.
b(1) : a conclusive statement or set of statements (such as an official decision of a court)
(2) : a decision taken as a precedent
(3) : testimony
c : an individual cited or appealed to as an expert
The prosecutor called the psychiatrist as an authority.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Test Your Vocabulary
Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
- What is an earlier meaning of nice?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Anagram puzzles meet word search.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
Do you know these earlier meanings of words?
Take the quizWords of Snow and Ice Quiz
A selection of words from the chillier parts of t...
Take the quizSpell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quizSCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!
Play the game
Share authority
Time Traveler for authority
The first known use of authority was in the 13th century
See more words from the same century