1
as in expert
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
the leading authority on neural anatomy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in government
lawful control over the affairs of a political unit (as a nation)
the sheriff had authority over the whole county
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
speaks with a persuasive authority on matters of public health
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in power
the right or means to command or control others
by the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you married
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in reason
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
7
as in effectiveness
the capacity to persuade
a strict grammarian whose pronouncements carried plenty of authority with my third-grade English teacher
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of authority
The suspect, identified by authorities as a 17-year-old San Jose boy, was arrested on suspicion of murder Tuesday in Santa Clara, San Jose police Officer Tanya Hernandez said in a news release.
—
Jason Green, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
That term is generally applied to state and local governments that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
—Joey Cappelletti, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
The next day, authorities confiscated more than 50,000 vapes and displayed them in Mexico City’s central square.
—María Verza, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
The outlet adds that authorities insisted there is currently no danger to the public.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for authority
Jason Green, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
That term is generally applied to state and local governments that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
—Joey Cappelletti, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
The next day, authorities confiscated more than 50,000 vapes and displayed them in Mexico City’s central square.
—María Verza, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
The outlet adds that authorities insisted there is currently no danger to the public.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for authority
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authority
Noun
-
Wright has hinted more orders could be coming this year, which experts say could continue inflating customer bills around the nation.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The rival bids have drawn scrutiny from antitrust experts and lawmakers, who worry that either death could reduce competition in an entertainment industry already dominated by streaming giants.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Now, Liilii, Chainey and Smith await the pending consequences on SJSU and UNR from the federal government.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Born in Rockhampton, in central Queensland, Australia, her first job was working for the Australian government in compliance, across Brisbane and Sydney.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
China is seizing an opportunity to challenge American dominance in global finance and exert greater international influence at the expense of the all-powerful US dollar.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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Even though the software is extremely limited right now—people can explore their AI worlds for only one minute—investors worry the service may eventually diminish the influence of major studios.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The power of the crop; or, when bad taste comes all the way back around to being good taste.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Nebraska law says that while in active service of the state, or at the direction of the governor, National Guard members are peace officers with power to prevent crime, arrest suspects, and execute the process of law.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There are, once again, a few reasons for this.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The 2026 reason to sending rockets into space has to do with infrastructure — first, internet satellites, and now, AI data centers in orbit, Bloomberg’s Matt Levine writes.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Transportation will determine whether White Stadium functions as a community asset or becomes a recurring source of congestion, neighborhood disruption, and political backlash.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Earlier in the season, there was a minor controversy over whether the film’s changes to the source material — making its hero less explicitly racist and less complicit in the victimization of a Chinese laborer — sanded down the tale’s rough edges.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The state spent more than $20 billion without uniform standards to measure effectiveness.—
Julie Watts,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Demonstrating the effectiveness of their tactical setup without the ball, Villa have only made more interceptions and ball recoveries in one other match this season.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Among the special guests invited to Shapiro's address are a number of educators and first responders, including a master's student at the University of Pennsylvania, an Erie Police Department lieutenant and a Montgomery County couple scammed by cyber criminals.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
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The true puppet master is his archnemesis Roper, who faked his death in captivity years ago.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Authority.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authority. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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