authority

noun

ə-ˈthȯr-ə-tē How to pronounce authority (audio)
Definition of authoritynext
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
as in source
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
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

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun authority contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of authority are command, control, dominion, jurisdiction, power, and sway. While all these words mean "the right to govern or rule or determine," authority implies power for a specific purpose within specified limits.

granted the authority to manage her estate

When is command a more appropriate choice than authority?

While the synonyms command and authority are close in meaning, command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience.

the army officer in command

When would control be a good substitute for authority?

The meanings of control and authority largely overlap; however, control stresses the power to direct and restrain.

you are responsible for the students under your control

When might dominion be a better fit than authority?

The words dominion and authority can be used in similar contexts, but dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority.

given dominion over all the animals

When can jurisdiction be used instead of authority?

In some situations, the words jurisdiction and authority are roughly equivalent. However, jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits.

the bureau having jurisdiction over parks

In what contexts can power take the place of authority?

The words power and authority are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence.

the power to mold public opinion

When could sway be used to replace authority?

The synonyms sway and authority are sometimes interchangeable, but sway suggests the extent of exercised power or influence.

the empire extended its sway over the region

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 authority Cox, the Utah governor, confirmed on Friday morning that authorities had captured Robinson, the southern Utah resident accused of killing Kirk, ending speculation and bringing a close to the tense manhunt. —Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025 Robinson was arrested after being reported to authorities by a family member. —James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025 Robinson attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021, according to authorities. —Michael Ruiz , Peter D'abrosca , Julia Bonavita , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , David Spunt , Cb Cotton, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025 The site about 12 miles west of Chicago has become the focus of local protesters looking to slow down immigration authorities’ efforts to remove immigrants from the state. —Michael Loria, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for authority
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authority
  1. expert
  2. government
  3. influence
  4. power
  5. reason
  6. source
  7. effectiveness
  8. master
Noun
  • Multiple rights experts and scholars say Israel's military assault on Gaza amounts to genocide.
    — Jarrett Renshaw, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Bond yields are shaped in part by expectations of the benchmark interest rate set by the Fed, some experts said.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of expert
Noun
  • The growing costs to buy and maintain a car –exacerbated by inflation and tariffs –are leading to rising auto loan defaults and repossessions and a potential crisis for American consumers left unprotected by the federal government, according to a new report by a consumer advocacy organization.
    — Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Republican lawmakers are upping the pressure on GOP leaders to extend enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at year’s end for those with Affordable Care Act coverage, bolstering similar demands from Democrats as part of government funding talks.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
Definition of government
Noun
  • By the mid-1930s, however, Husseini’s influence was dimming.
    — Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Fall’s fashion trends mark a return to classicism, with influences from academia and the English countryside, and few pieces capture the mood as effortlessly as blazers.
    — Kristina Rutkowski, Glamour, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of influence
Noun
  • Expect spectacle, but also a story about claiming identity and embracing power.
    — Okla Jones, Essence, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Boise trustees have the unusual power to increase or decrease property tax collections.
    — Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of power
Noun
  • In many cases, the two reasons amount to the same thing, with the same cause.
    — Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The second reason is that these aura battler designs were very complex and full of curves as well as weird angles.
    — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of reason
Noun
  • The Tesla is registered to 20-year-old David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, according to a senior LAPD source.
    — Alex Stone, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
  • During more than two hours of testimony, journalist Michael Shellenberger testified that sources had informed him that intelligence communities are in possession of numerous high-resolution photos and videos of the craft unlike any of the grainy imagery that has so far been declassified.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of source
Noun
  • Davis said that the center has been around for 50 years speaks to its effectiveness in helping people achieve their goals.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The money would provide for beginning mechanical removal of the algae mass in the most problematic areas and setting up test areas for the effectiveness of algicides, Miller said.
    — Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Definition of effectiveness
Noun
  • Merging with Teck will almost certainly be the master stroke in removing it from any plans by BHP to return with a fresh offer for Anglo American.
    — Tim Treadgold, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Moreover, Southern bakers have been perfecting this treat for generations, and our recipe masters the most classic version, staying largely the same since its first appearances in our annual Southern Living cookbooks as early as the 1960s and 1970s.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Definition of master

Browse Nearby Words

authorities
authority
authorization
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Authority.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authority. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on authority

Nglish: Translation of authority for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about authority

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

A Guide to Using Semicolons

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 3

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Birds Say the Darndest Things

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You
See More

Popular

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 3

Our Best Historical Slang Terms
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
high school student holding a pencil leaning over a sat test
Challenging Standardized Test Words 20 questions to help you score 1600
See All