authority

1 a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field the leading authority on neural anatomy Synonyms ace, adept, artist, expert, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack (also crackajack), dab [chiefly British], dab hand [chiefly British], fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, master, maven (also mavin), meister, past master, proficient, scholar, shark, sharp, virtuoso, whiz, wizardRelated Words pro, professional; consultant, hired gun, specialist; addict, aficionado (also afficionado), buff, devotee, enthusiast, fan; craftsman, journeyman; all-rounder [British], jack-of-all-trades, Renaissance man; mistressNear Antonyms apprentice, beginner, neophyte, novice; dabbler, dilettante; layman, nonprofessionalAntonyms amateur, inexpert, nonexpert

2 lawful control over the affairs of a political unit (as a nation) the sheriff had authority over the whole county Synonyms administration, rule, governance, government, jurisdiction, regime (also régime), regimenRelated Words reign; dominion, power, sovereignty (also sovranty), supremacy, sway; command, leadership; direction, management, regulation, superintendence, supervision; autocracy, dictatorship, domination, hegemony, mastery, oppression, subjugation, tyranny

3 the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly speaks with a persuasive authority on matters of public health Synonyms influence, clout, credit, heft, in, juice [slang], leverage, pull, sway, weightRelated Words counterinfluence; command, dominance, dominion, mastery, predominance, reign, scepter, sovereignty (also sovranty), supremacy; consequence, eminence, importance, moment; impact, impress, impression, imprint, markNear Antonyms helplessness, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, weakness

4 the right or means to command or control others by the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you married Synonyms arm, power, clutch, command, control, death grip, dominion, grip, hold, mastery, reign, rein(s), swayRelated Words clout, influence, leverage, pull, voice, weight; jurisdiction; direction, management; dominance, imperium, predominance, sovereignty (also sovranty), supremacy; prerogative, privilege, right; eminence, importance, momentNear Antonyms helplessness, weaknessAntonyms impotence, impotency, powerlessness

5 something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing I had good authority to believe that the information was correct Synonyms account, reason, grounds, motive, subject, wherefore, whyRelated Words antecedent, cause, consideration, impetus, incentive, inspiration, instigation, occasion, stimulus

6 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 reference, sourceRelated Words citation, excerpt, extract, quotation; caption, cross-reference, footnote, note

7 the capacity to persuade a strict grammarian whose pronouncements carried plenty of authority with my third-grade English teacher Synonyms cogency, conclusiveness, convincingness, effectiveness, force, forcefulness, persuasion, persuasiveness, suasivenessRelated Words impact, might, power, punch, strength, weight; believability, credibility, soundness, validity; authoritativeness, definitiveness; influence, sway; appeal, seductivenessNear Antonyms invalidity, shakiness, unsoundness; feebleness, powerlessness, weaknessAntonyms inconclusiveness, ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness