authorities

plural of authority
1
2
3
4
5
as in reasons
something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing I had good authority to believe that the information was correct

Synonyms & Similar Words

6
as in sources
something mentioned in a text as providing related and especially supporting information the Bible is the sole authority for his impassioned defense of creationism

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of authorities With no way to communicate, the surviving man, identified as Paul Council, located a canoe and made his way back to North Hero to alert the authorities of the incident. Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025 Following Zhao’s resignation as CEO, Binance installed Richard Teng, a former financial regulator in the UAE and Singapore, as head of the company to telegraph to authorities that the exchange was focused on compliance. Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025 The victim was injured in the attack but declined medical treatment when authorities arrived, according to officials. Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025 Rozier’s March 2023 game was referenced by authorities during Thursday’s press conference. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025 Officials had received two mail-in ballots, one from Miller and one from her mother, who died in August 2024, authorities said. Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2025 The Accent was set on fire and later taken to a junkyard, where it was recovered by authorities, Toczylowski said. Doha Madani, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025 People saw this strange-looking rock and tried to pick it up, but none could until this innocent little boy succeeded, delivering it to authorities. JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025 Then, on Wednesday night, deputies returned to the home and Ashlee Buzzard was there, but Melodee was not, authorities said. Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authorities
Noun
  • Analysts and financial experts have observed this growing trend among younger clients navigating the complexities of financial planning.
    Mark Davis, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Advertisement Several experts highlighted the importance of not blindly relying on AI outputs.
    Tharin Pillay, Time, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Despite the economic boon wind and solar can provide for rural economies, county governments across the state have begun placing significant impediments and outright bans on their development.
    Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The Cuban Missile Crisis suggests that leaders sometimes respond more effectively when adversaries stay quiet and that open declarations of intent, paradoxically, can make governments more likely to dismiss threats as posturing.
    Big Think, Big Think, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Klopp told a similar story to Diary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett, saying his childhood home was defined by a critical mix of influences.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The opposites-attract love story in A Brewed Awakening, Basham tells PEOPLE, draws from some familiar influences.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • With so few institutional checks on ICE’s powers, citizens are increasingly relying on themselves.
    J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The task forces bring the full investigative powers of the FBI, Homeland Security and state and local law enforcement together under one umbrella.
    Jason M. Blazakis, Mercury News, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Due process requires a commitment to the reasons punishment is sought and thus allows those reasons to be addressed and countered.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Advertisers still crave the broad, simultaneous viewership such extravaganzas generate, and marketers that in the past might not have spent heavily on sports now see new reasons to do so.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Doug Martin, a former running back for the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, died while in Oakland police custody early Saturday morning, multiple sources close to the investigation told this news organization on Sunday.
    Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Los Angeles alone sources beef from 10 counties, and those beef suppliers rely on livestock from 469 counties, which are fed using crops grown in 828 counties.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Most legal scholars interpret this to mean that the president’s duty is to spend the money Congress appropriates, and that the president does not have the power to withhold funds.
    Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Yet Trump’s mercurial nature has given other presidential scholars, who cited the president’s six-month journey to even suggest that Vance and Rubio were in the running to succeed him, some hesitancy.
    Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • However, blackout rules apply to certain TV markets.
    Rudie Obias, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025
  • According to a report by Red Sox beat writer Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Thompson will likely become a free agent soon, as would be his right under MLB rules because he was never placed on the Red Sox 40-man roster this year.
    Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Authorities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authorities. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on authorities

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!