1
as in definitive
being the most accurate and apparently thorough
this book is considered the most authoritative source on that subject
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in influential
having power over the minds or behavior of others
after a couple of authoritative critics panned the movie, the other reviewers rushed to say how awful it was
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around
she's very authoritative for someone who doesn't actually outrank us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of authoritative
Clarke’s writing is authoritative, beautiful and compassionate.
—
Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 13 June 2025
Finally, new ways of understanding the world became increasingly prestigious—particularly science, which offered authoritative accounts for bodily and national difference, especially differences of gender and race.
—Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
Expanding the song’s world of stray thoughts and heartbreak totems while expertly navigating the story’s twists and turns, Swift turned a for-the-fans album cut into an authoritative epic.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 3 June 2025
The most authoritative research on the risk to California was conducted in 2015, but little has changed in the past decade.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for authoritative
Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 13 June 2025
Finally, new ways of understanding the world became increasingly prestigious—particularly science, which offered authoritative accounts for bodily and national difference, especially differences of gender and race.
—Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
Expanding the song’s world of stray thoughts and heartbreak totems while expertly navigating the story’s twists and turns, Swift turned a for-the-fans album cut into an authoritative epic.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 3 June 2025
The most authoritative research on the risk to California was conducted in 2015, but little has changed in the past decade.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for authoritative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authoritative
Adjective
-
The following guide is the definitive travel companion for pop culture lovers, adventurers, and anyone who’s ever related to Victoria Ratliff’s (Parker Posey) refusal to live an uncomfortable life.—
Ashlee Marie Preston,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
Such discrepancies in Bach’s manuscripts show that no definitive version of the Mass exists and that modern performers are free to follow their intuition.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
All of this is to say: fitness is the biggest influential player for the Dutch.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
Involve influential stakeholders right from the start.—
Apurva Wadodkar,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
But he is despised by Thailand’s powerful elites, who saw his rule as corrupt, authoritarian and socially destabilizing.—
Lionel Lim,
Fortune,
19 June 2025
-
The country is not like other countries that have had authoritarian histories.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
And, as expected, the season will wrap up with two beloved classical monsters.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
22 June 2025
-
For something more classical (read: Italian, land of spritz), grab a bottle of Savoia ($25).—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
Despite his character's domineering presence, Morse told ScreenRant there's more than meets the eye.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
18 June 2025
-
It was then put to Tuchel that the show’s host Adrian Durham has friends who think England would be better off without Bellingham in the team, referring to that domineering personality.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Bottom line: Even when data show that generative AI is more accurate, patients still want to talk with a human when facing complex or life-threatening decisions.—
Robert Pearl,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
Despite the vast expansion in the number of sensors, the insurance institute’s testing found, the male THOR dummy was less accurate than the current Hybrid dummies, which also had limitations.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
The protests proved conclusively that Americans will not tolerate the deployment of the U.S. military in American cities, the constant line-stepping over constitutional boundaries, the arrests of political dissenters, or the arrogant defense of police-state tactics.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
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In Aesop’s fable, the turtle (traditionally called a tortoise, which is a type of turtle) is a winner, a perpetual underdog who defeats the arrogant hare.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
By The New York Times The overhaul was a far cry from the comprehensive review to evaluate aid programs and realign them with U.S. foreign policy that Mr. Trump promised on his first day in office.—
Amy Schoenfeld Walker,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
-
The 2015 deal, signed by Iran, U.S., and other world powers, created a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.—
Aamer Madhani,
Christian Science Monitor,
22 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Authoritative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authoritative. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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