authority
noun
ȯ- ,
-ˈthȯr- \
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?
2a : persons in command specifically : government the local authorities of each state
b : a governmental agency or corporation to administer a revenue-producing public enterprise the transit authority the city's housing authority
3a : grounds, warrant had excellent authority for believing the claim
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.
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Synonyms & Antonyms for authority
Synonyms
ace, adept, artist, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack (also crackajack), expert, fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, master, maven (also mavin), past master, scholar, shark, virtuoso, whiz, wizard
Antonyms
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Examples of authority in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sturgess and Rowley were hospitalized in late June, authorities have said. — NBC News, "British police determine source of nerve agent that poisoned couple," 13 July 2018 Two lanes on northbound I-95 in Volusia County are closed because of an RV fire Friday morning, authorities said. — Michael Williams, OrlandoSentinel.com, "RV fire closes 2 lanes on northbound I-95 in Volusia County," 13 July 2018 Both were soon caught and Glorioso, who had been working at the courthouse as part of an inmate trustee program, has been removed from his job, authorities said. — Greg Norman, Fox News, "Louisiana inmate caught having sex with woman, 19, in courthouse stairwell, police say," 13 July 2018 Shortly before this meeting and while on leave, authorities say Zhang had taken a trip to China with his family. — Allyson Chiu, Anchorage Daily News, "Ex-Apple engineer arrested on his way to China, charged with stealing company's autonomous car secrets," 11 July 2018 The girl also told authorities Sligh forced her to touch him inappropriately. — Raisa Habersham, ajc, "Actor convicted of child molestation in Cherokee County," 13 July 2018 Now, McMillan is suing Fritz, 43, and the small town that hired him, accusing him of abusing his police authority, as well as false imprisonment and emotional distress. — Tom Jackman, Washington Post, "In police sexual misconduct case, Michigan woman sues officer she accused of assault," 13 July 2018 Police said in the documents that a gas station attendant told authorities Perkins had driven to the gas station around 8 p.m. to purchase a cigar but Tamira was not in the car with her. — Amy Lavalley, Post-Tribune, "Judge enters not guilty plea for Valparaiso mom charged with neglect in daughter's death," 12 July 2018 His lawyers previously asked Ellis to dismiss the charges against him, claiming that Mueller had exceeded his authority by pursuing a financial crimes case unrelated to the Russia investigation. — Chris Megerian, Anchorage Daily News, "For Paul Manafort, an uncommonly comfortable life behind bars," 12 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'authority.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for authority
authority
noun
English Language Learners Definition of authority
: the power to give orders or make decisions : the power or right to direct or control someone or something
: the confident quality of someone who knows a lot about something or who is respected or obeyed by other people
: a quality that makes something seem true or real
See the full definition for authority in the English Language Learners Dictionary
authority
noun
\
Kids Definition of authority
1 : power to exercise control
2 : a person looked to as an expert She's a leading authority on fitness.
3 : people having powers to make decisions and enforce rules and laws State authorities are investigating the disputed election.
4 : a fact or statement used to support a position What is your authority for this argument?
authority
nounLegal Definition of authority
1 : an official decision of a court used especially as a precedent
2a : a power to act especially over others that derives from status, position, or office the authority of the president also : jurisdiction
b : the power to act that is officially or formally granted (as by statute, corporate bylaw, or court order) within the scope of the treasurer's authority police officers executing a warrant…are not required to “knock and announce” their authority and purposes before entering —National Law Journal
c : power and capacity to act granted by someone in a position of control specifically : the power to act granted by a principal to his or her agent
: the authority that a principal in reality has granted to an agent
: the actual authority of an agent specifically stated or written by the principal
: the actual authority of an agent that the principal has not specified but has purposely or through negligence allowed the agent to believe has been granted
: the authority that a principal purposely or through negligence allows a third party to believe that the principal's agent has although such authority has not in reality been granted
— called also
authority by estoppel, ostensible authority
Note:
A principal is bound by the acts of an agent acting with apparent authority.
: authority that is explicitly granted to an agent by a principal
— called also
expressed authority, stipulated authority
: the authority to perform acts that are customary, necessary, and understood by an agent as authorized in performing acts for which the principal has given express authority
: apparent authority in this entry
: express authority in this entry
3 : a person in a position of power and especially a public office —usually used in pl. the local authorities
4a : a government agency or corporation that administers a revenue-producing public enterprise the transit authority
b : a government agency or public office responsible for an area of regulation should apply for a permit to the permitting authority
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