Etymology

authority

au·thor·i·ty
A1U1T1H4O1R1I1T1Y4

Today it means: Power or right to make or enforce rules, give orders, or impose obligation; or a position having such power or right. Full definition →

Middle English auctorite ← Old French autorité ← Latin auctōritā
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ewg-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂owg-éye-ti
  3. Proto-Italic*augejō
  4. Proto-Italic*augeō
  5. Latinaugeō
  6. Latinauctor
  7. Latinauctōritā
  8. Old Frenchautorité
  9. Middle Englishauctorite
  10. English todayauthority

From Middle English auctorite, autorite (“authority, book or quotation that settles an argument”), from Old French auctorité, from Latin stem of auctōritās (“invention, advice, opinion, influence, command”), from auctor (“master, leader, author”). For the presence of the h, compare the etymology of author.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.