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have it on good/excellent authority

idiom

: to know or believe something because you have been told that it is true by someone you trust
Based on some reliable inside information, we have it on excellent authority that the company will soon be making layoffs.
She has it on good authority that the playwright will be writing a novel next.

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“Have it on good/excellent authority.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have%20it%20on%20good%2Fexcellent%20authority. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.

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