Thesaurus

authority

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of authority

1 a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field

the leading authority on neural anatomy

Synonyms of authority

ace, adept, artist, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack (also crackajack), dab [chiefly British], dab hand [chiefly British], expert, fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, master, maven (also mavin), meister, past master, proficient, scholar, shark, sharp, virtuoso, whiz, wizard

Words Related to authority

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

Near Antonyms of authority

apprentice, beginner, neophyte, novice

dabbler, dilettante

layman, nonprofessional

Antonyms of authority

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 of authority

administration, governance, government, jurisdiction, regime (also régime), regimen, rule

Words Related to authority

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 of authority

clout, credit, heft, in, influence, juice [slang], leverage, pull, sway, weight

Words Related to authority

counterinfluence

command, dominance, dominion, mastery, predominance, reign, scepter, sovereignty (also sovranty), supremacy

consequence, eminence, importance, moment

impact, impress, impression, imprint, mark

Near Antonyms of authority

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 of authority

arm, clutch, command, control, death grip, dominion, grip, hold, mastery, power, reign, rein(s), sway

Words Related to authority

clout, influence, leverage, pull, voice, weight

direction, management

dominance, imperium, predominance, sovereignty (also sovranty), supremacy

prerogative, privilege, right

eminence, importance, moment

Near Antonyms of authority

helplessness, weakness

Antonyms of authority

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 of authority

account, grounds, motive, reason, subject, wherefore, why

Words Related to authority

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 of authority

reference, source

Words Related to authority

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 of authority

cogency, conclusiveness, convincingness, effectiveness, force, forcefulness, persuasion, persuasiveness, suasiveness

Words Related to authority

impact, might, power, punch, strength, weight

believability, credibility, soundness, validity

authoritativeness, definitiveness

influence, sway

appeal, seductiveness

Near Antonyms of authority

invalidity, shakiness, unsoundness

feebleness, powerlessness, weakness

Antonyms of authority

inconclusiveness, ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness

Synonym Discussion of authority

influence, authority, prestige, weight, credit mean power exerted over the minds or behavior of others. influence may apply to a force exercised and received consciously or unconsciously.

- used her influence to get the bill passed

authority implies the power of winning devotion or allegiance or of compelling acceptance and belief.

- his opinions lacked authority

prestige implies the ascendancy given by conspicuous excellence or reputation for superiority.

- the prestige of the newspaper

weight implies measurable or decisive influence in determining acts or choices.

- their wishes obviously carried much weight

credit suggests influence that arises from the confidence of others.

- his credit with the press

Learn More about authority

See words that rhyme with authority Dictionary: Definition of authority Spanish Central: Translation of authority Nglish: Translation of authority for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of authority for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about authority

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WORD OF THE DAY

propitious

likely to have or produce good results