reauthorize

verb

re·​au·​tho·​rize (ˌ)rē-ˈȯ-thə-ˌrīz 

reauthorized; reauthorizing; reauthorizes

transitive verb

: to authorize (something or someone) again

especially : to renew the authority or effective legal power, warrant, or right of

called for Congress to reauthorize the Clean Water Act

Since passage, each law has been amended or "reauthorized," a confusing process under which existing statutes are reenacted with new language.

—Gregg Easterbrook

reauthorization

(ˌ)rē-ˌȯ-th(ə-)rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

plural reauthorizations

Congressional leaders are expected to continue negotiating a long-term reauthorization of the program in the coming weeks.

—Mike Debonis

Examples of reauthorize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

DeSantis reauthorized his order putting the Guard in state prisons four times. —Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 4 June 2025

Duffy, who served in the House from 2012 to 2019, voted for bills reauthorizing FAA funding in 2012 and 2014, during the Obama administration, as well as in 2018, during the first Trump administration. —Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025

Congress has reauthorized funding for the corporation for decades. 5. —Jade Walker, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025

Representative Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina, has proposed reauthorizing a lend-lease agreement to provide Ukraine with weapons. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for reauthorize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize