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

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones wants residents to reauthorize the city’s portion of arena funding this fall, and the deadline to add the issue to November’s ballot is Monday. — Jared Weiss, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026

When voters last considered reauthorizing the tax, nearly 80% of voters supported it. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026

Congress reauthorized the fund weeks later, and New York City subsequently awarded Stewart its Bronze Medallion, the city’s highest civic honor. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 July 2026

Congress later reauthorized the fund and Stewart received New York City’s highest civic honor, the Bronze Medallion. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 27 July 2026

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