authority figure

noun

: a person who has authority over another person

A child needs an authority figure in his or her life.

Examples of authority figure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

During a work meeting, a senior colleague or authority figure may share one of your ideas as the solution everyone’s been looking for. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026

The inner critic becomes less like an authority figure and more like that one colleague who sends too many emails. — April Dávila, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026

On Wednesday, Nakashima remained in jail at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $45,000 bond on three counts of lewd and lascivious battery by an authority figure. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

Branch added that such informal, caring relationships allow a freedom that a boy may not feel when relating to someone who is a relative, or an authority figure such as a teacher. — Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 10 July 2026

Rhymes for authority figure

• configure
• disfigure
• prefigure
• reconfigure