say-so

noun

1
a
: one's unsupported assertion or assurance
b
: an authoritative pronouncement
left the hospital on the say-so of his doctor
2
: a right of final decision : say
has the ultimate say-so on what will be taught

Examples of say-so in a Sentence

some of the members complained they didn't have any say-so in how the organization spent its funds
Recent Examples on the Web The severity of the crisis led Congress to appropriate $700 billion for the Troubled Asset Relief Program largely on the say-so of the Bush administration. Francis Fukuyama, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2014 So Biden has loyalty — the kind that isn’t switching candidates without his say-so. Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2024 Joe Biden has orchestrated all of it and nobody brings a case without his say-so, which is why his next move was to ensure that his son was arrested for firearm possession. Alexandra Petri, Washington Post, 28 June 2024 Expanded or not, the existing red light cameras can only function with state lawmakers’ say-so, Rodriguez said. Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024 But as president, Mr. Biden has claimed the power to initiate attacks on his say-so alone, whether against China, Iran, the Houthis or otherwise. Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 17 Mar. 2024 Why does Catherine Fox have a say-so in this child’s case? Lincee Ray, EW.com, 3 May 2024 Writers wanted to make sure AI couldn’t be trained on their work or manipulate it without their say-so; actors wanted guardrails on how the technology could be used to recreate their performances. Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 25 Dec. 2023 Nor were any of them going to command either much say-so on personnel or a heavy salary, a pair of typical Spanos-coach traits. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'say-so.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of say-so was in 1637

Dictionary Entries Near say-so

Cite this Entry

“Say-so.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/say-so. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

say-so

noun
ˈsā-ˌsȯ
1
a
: one's unsupported word
b
: a judgment coming from a person of authority
2
: a right of last decision : authority
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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