authoritatively

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UK/ɔːˈθɒɹɪtətɪvli/US/ɔˈθɔɹəˌteɪtɪvli/

adverb

In an authoritative manner; with authority.

UncommonScrabble 24

Meanings

adverbauthoritatively (comparative more authoritatively, superlative most authoritatively)

comparative more authoritatively · superlative most authoritatively

  1. In an authoritative manner; with authority.

    He has, of course, the right to speak authoritatively, and he laughs at my theory that there was a crack in Pansay's head and a little bit of the Dark World came through and pressed him to death.

    1888, Rudyard Kipling, “The Phantom Rickshaw”, in The Phantom 'Rickshaw and Other Tales, Allahabad: A.H. Wheeler and Co., page 8
    1 more example

    The inability of Trump's own spokespeople to speak authoritatively on the president's thinking and actions -- a challenge even Trump himself has acknowledged -- has left the White House with an enormous credibility gap, and has tarnished the reputations of many of its most visible spokespeople.

    2017 May 16, Dylan Byers, “Does anyone in Trump's White House have credibility?”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 22 Mar 2025

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbin an authoritative and magisterial manner

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishauctoritatively
  2. Englishauthoritatively

From Middle English auctoritatively, auctoritativeli; compare Medieval Latin auctoritātīve; equivalent to authoritative + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan autoritàriament
  • autoritàriamentin an authoritative manner
Czech autoritativně
  • autoritativněin an authoritative manner
Esperanto aŭtoritate
  • aŭtoritatein an authoritative manner
Finnish auktoritatiivisesti
  • auktoritatiivisestiin an authoritative manner
Hungarian mérvadóan
  • mérvadóanin an authoritative manner
Italian autorevolmente
  • autorevolmentein an authoritative manner
Polish autorytatywnie
  • autorytatywniein an authoritative manner
Spanish con autoridad, autoritativamente
  • con autoridadin an authoritative manner
  • autoritativamentein an authoritative manner
Cite this entry
APA

authoritatively. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/authoritatively

MLA

“authoritatively.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/authoritatively. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “authoritatively,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/authoritatively.

Source: authoritatively on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.