Meanings
plural authorities · alternative authourity · alternative authoritie · alternative autority · alternative auctoritie
- uncountablePower or right to make or enforce rules, give orders, or impose obligation; or a position having such power or right.
Respect my authority!
5 more examples
I have the authority to penalise the staff in my department, but not the authority to sack them.
Vigilantes may have the power to nab criminals, but they lack the authority.
She lost all respect and authority after turning up drunk at the meeting.
SIR PETER. Very well! ma'am very well! so a husband is to have no influence, no authority? LADY TEAZLE. Authority! no, to be sure—if you wanted authority over me, you should have adopted me and not married me[:] I am sure you were old enough.
1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, II.iBut in the meantime Robin Hood and his band lived quietly in Sherwood Forest, without showing their faces abroad, for Robin knew that it would not be wise for him to be seen in the neighborhood of Nottingham, those in authority being very wroth with him.
1883, Howard Pyle, chapter V, in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood […], New York, N.Y.: […] Charles Scribner’s Sons […], →OCLCSynonyms: command, rulership, sovereignty, control · Antonyms: impotence, powerlessness
- countablepluraluncountablePersons, regarded collectively, who occupy official positions of power; police or law enforcement.
Authorities say the suspect fled on foot.
3 more examples
The case was that of a murder. It had an element of mystery about it, however, which was puzzling the authorities. A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff.
1927, F. E. Penny, chapter 4, in Pulling the StringsNo sooner has a [synthetic] drug been blacklisted than chemists adjust their recipe and start churning out a subtly different one. These “legal highs” are sold for the few months it takes the authorities to identify and ban them, and then the cycle begins again.
2013 August 10, “Legal highs: A new prescription”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848In China, authorities said they might soon shoot down an unidentified flying object over waters near the northern city of Rizhao, The South China Morning Post reported.
2023 February 12, Daniel E. Slotnik, Amelia Nierenberg, “Your Monday Briefing: U.S. Destroys U.F.O.s”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 13 Feb 2023, Briefing - countableA reliable, definitive source of information on a subject.
the world's foremost authority on orangutans
4 more examples
My cheap dictionary is not the authority on word derivations.
To punish me for my contempt of authority, Fate has made me an authority myself.
1930 September 18, Albert Einstein, as quoted in Albert Einstein: Creator and Rebel (1988) by Banesh HoffmanIn these volumes, edited by a French scholar who is today the greatest (and almost the only) authority on Siamese legal history […]
1940, John H. Wigmore, “Pramnŏn Kŏtmai Roc'ăkan T'I Nŭng Cŭlăcăkărăt 1166 (Code of the First Reign [of Siam] 1166 [A.D. 1804-05]). Edited by R. Lingat, from the Official Manuscripts of the Triple Seal. Bangkok, Vols. I, II, 1939; Vol. III (in press)”, in Louisiana Law Review, volume 2, pages 565–566The Egyptian crux ansata, common on Egyptian monuments and other memorials, is considered by some authorities as a triple phallus.
1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 82 - uncountableOfficial permission; authorisation to act in some capacity on behalf of a ruling entity.
Authority to construct eight carriages, to test the new design in public service, had already been given; but of course complete working drawings had first to be prepared.
1964 July, “XP64: New Standard Carriage Project”, in Modern Railways, page 21 more example
'It seems to me,' remarked Mr Carrados, remembering something very similar not long before, 'that whatever anyone wants to do about Shakespeare, it is easy to find authority in his works for doing it.'
1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados MysteriesSynonyms: jurisdiction, leave, sanction, allowance, authorization, clearance, consent, leave
- countableA government-owned agency that runs a revenue-generating activity for public benefit.
New York Port Authority
1 more example
Chicago Transit Authority
Synonyms & antonyms
nounPower or right to make or enforce rules, give orders, or impose obligation; or a position having such power or right.
nounStatus as a trustworthy source of information, reputation for mastery or expertise; or claim to such status or reputation.
nounOfficial permission; authorisation to act in some capacity on behalf of a ruling entity.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe power or right to give orders or make decisions
nounfreedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
nounan administrative unit of government
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ewg-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂owg-éye-ti
- Proto-Italic*augejō
- Proto-Italic*augeō
- Latinaugeō
- Latinauctor
- Latinauctōritā
- Old Frenchautorité
- Middle Englishauctorite
- Englishauthority
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.
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans gesag, gesaghebbende bron
- gesagpower to enforce rules or give orders
- gesaghebbende bronreliable source of information on a subject
Ancient Greek ἐξουσία, ἀρχή
- ἐξουσία (exousía)power to enforce rules or give orders
- ἀρχή (arkhḗ)power to enforce rules or give orders
Arabic سُلْطَة
- سُلْطَة (sulṭa)power to enforce rules or give orders
Bulgarian власт, авторите́т
- власт (vlast)power to enforce rules or give orders
- авторите́т (avtoritét)power to enforce rules or give orders
- вла́сти (vlásti)police or law enforcement collectively
- познава́ч (poznaváč)reliable source of information on a subject
- авторите́т (avtoritét)reliable source of information on a subject
Catalan autoritat
- autoritatpower to enforce rules or give orders
Chinese Mandarin 權力 /权力, 權威 /权威
- 權力 /权力 (quánlì)power to enforce rules or give orders
- 權威 /权威 (quánwēi)power to enforce rules or give orders
- 當局 /当局 (dāngjú)police or law enforcement collectively
- 權威 /权威 (quánwēi)reliable source of information on a subject
Czech autorita, autorita
- autoritapower to enforce rules or give orders
- autoritapolice or law enforcement collectively
- autoritareliable source of information on a subject
Danish myndighed
- myndighedpower to enforce rules or give orders
Dutch bevoegdheid, gezag
- bevoegdheidpower to enforce rules or give orders
- gezagpower to enforce rules or give orders
- autoriteitpolice or law enforcement collectively
- autoriteitenpolice or law enforcement collectively
- gezagpolice or law enforcement collectively
- overheidpolice or law enforcement collectively
- autoriteitreliable source of information on a subject
Esperanto aŭtoritato, instanco
- aŭtoritatopower to enforce rules or give orders
- instancopolice or law enforcement collectively
Estonian võim, võim
- võimpower to enforce rules or give orders
- võimpolice or law enforcement collectively
- asjatundjareliable source of information on a subject
Finnish auktoriteetti, käskyvalta
- auktoriteettipower to enforce rules or give orders
- käskyvaltapower to enforce rules or give orders
- vaikutusvaltapower to enforce rules or give orders
- valtapower to enforce rules or give orders
- viranomaisetpolice or law enforcement collectively
- asiantuntijareliable source of information on a subject
- auktoriteettireliable source of information on a subject
- laitosgovernment agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
French autorité, autorité
- autoritépower to enforce rules or give orders
- autoritépolice or law enforcement collectively
- autoritéreliable source of information on a subject
German Autorität, Autorität
- Autoritätpower to enforce rules or give orders
- Autoritätpolice or law enforcement collectively
- Behördepolice or law enforcement collectively
- Autoritätreliable source of information on a subject
- Behördegovernment agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
Greek εξουσία, αρχή
- εξουσία (exousía)power to enforce rules or give orders
- αρχή (archí)power to enforce rules or give orders
- αρχές (archés)police or law enforcement collectively
- αυθεντία (afthentía)reliable source of information on a subject
Hebrew סַמְכוּת, אוֹטוֹרִיטָה
- סַמְכוּת (samkhút)power to enforce rules or give orders
- אוֹטוֹרִיטָה (otorita)power to enforce rules or give orders
- רשויות (rashuyot)police or law enforcement collectively
- בר־סמכא (bar-samkha)reliable source of information on a subject
Hindi अधिकार, प्राधिकार
- अधिकार (adhikār)power to enforce rules or give orders
- प्राधिकार (prādhikār)power to enforce rules or give orders
- प्रशासन (praśāsan)police or law enforcement collectively
- प्राधिकरण (prādhikraṇ)government agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
Hungarian felhatalmazás, meghatalmazás
- felhatalmazáspower to enforce rules or give orders
- meghatalmazáspower to enforce rules or give orders
- hatalompower to enforce rules or give orders
- tekintélypower to enforce rules or give orders
- hatóságpolice or law enforcement collectively
- szakhatóságpolice or law enforcement collectively
- felügyeletpolice or law enforcement collectively
- főfelügyeletpolice or law enforcement collectively
- tekintélyreliable source of information on a subject
- szaktekintélyreliable source of information on a subject
- kormányzati hatósággovernment agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
Icelandic stjórnvald, yfirvald
- stjórnvaldpower to enforce rules or give orders
- yfirvaldpower to enforce rules or give orders
Indonesian otoritas, kewenangan
- otoritaspower to enforce rules or give orders
- kewenanganpower to enforce rules or give orders
- otoritaspolice or law enforcement collectively
- otoritasgovernment agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
Irish údarás, urlámhas
- údaráspower to enforce rules or give orders
- urlámhaspower to enforce rules or give orders
- údaráspolice or law enforcement collectively
- údarásreliable source of information on a subject
- údarásgovernment agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
Italian autorità, autorità
- autoritàpower to enforce rules or give orders
- autoritàpolice or law enforcement collectively
- autoritàreliable source of information on a subject
Japanese 権力, 権威
- 権力 (kenryoku)power to enforce rules or give orders
- 権威 (ken'i)power to enforce rules or give orders
- 強権 (kyōken)power to enforce rules or give orders
- 当局 (tōkyoku)police or law enforcement collectively
- 権威 (ken'i)reliable source of information on a subject
Korean 권력, 권능
- 권력 (gwollyeok)power to enforce rules or give orders
- 권능 (gwonneung)power to enforce rules or give orders
- 권력자 (gwollyeokja)police or law enforcement collectively
- 권위자 (gwonwija)reliable source of information on a subject
- 권위 (gwonwi)reliable source of information on a subject
Latin auctōritās
- auctōritāspower to enforce rules or give orders
Latvian pilnvara
- pilnvarapower to enforce rules or give orders
Lithuanian įgaliojimas
- įgaliojimaspower to enforce rules or give orders
Malay autoriti, pihak berkuasa
- autoritipower to enforce rules or give orders
- pihak berkuasapolice or law enforcement collectively
- penguasagovernment agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
- pihak berkuasagovernment agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
Māori kanoi, whakaruruhau
- kanoipower to enforce rules or give orders
- whakaruruhaupower to enforce rules or give orders
- manatūpower to enforce rules or give orders
- kanoireliable source of information on a subject
- manatūgovernment agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
- rangatōpūgovernment agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
Norwegian Bokmål autoritet, myndighet
- autoritetpower to enforce rules or give orders
- myndighetpower to enforce rules or give orders
- styresmaktpolice or law enforcement collectively
- styremaktpolice or law enforcement collectively
Polish autorytet, powaga
- autorytetpower to enforce rules or give orders
- powagapower to enforce rules or give orders
- władzapolice or law enforcement collectively
- autorytetreliable source of information on a subject
- arbiterreliable source of information on a subject
- powagareliable source of information on a subject
Portuguese autoridade, autoridade
- autoridadepower to enforce rules or give orders
- autoridadepolice or law enforcement collectively
- autoridadereliable source of information on a subject
Romanian autoritate, autoritate
- autoritatepower to enforce rules or give orders
- autoritatepolice or law enforcement collectively
- autoritățipolice or law enforcement collectively
- autoritatereliable source of information on a subject
Russian власть, власть
- власть (vlastʹ)power to enforce rules or give orders
- власть (vlastʹ)police or law enforcement collectively
- вла́сти (vlásti)police or law enforcement collectively
- авторите́т (avtoritét)reliable source of information on a subject
- администра́ция (administrácija)government agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
- управле́ние (upravlénije)government agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
Scottish Gaelic ùghdarras, ùghdarras
- ùghdarraspower to enforce rules or give orders
- ùghdarraspolice or law enforcement collectively
- ùghdarrasreliable source of information on a subject
Slovak autorita
- autoritapower to enforce rules or give orders
Spanish autoridad, policía
- autoridadpower to enforce rules or give orders
- policíapolice or law enforcement collectively
- autoridadespolice or law enforcement collectively
- fuerzas del ordenpolice or law enforcement collectively
- autoridadreliable source of information on a subject
- autoridadreliability, trustworthiness, or expertise
- autoridadpermission or authorisation
- autorizaciónpermission or authorisation
Swahili mamlaka, mamlaka
- mamlakapower to enforce rules or give orders
- mamlakapolice or law enforcement collectively
Swedish auktoritet, myndighet
- auktoritetpower to enforce rules or give orders
- myndighetpower to enforce rules or give orders
- myndighetpolice or law enforcement collectively
- auktoritetreliable source of information on a subject
- myndighetgovernment agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
Thai อำนาจ, เจ้าหน้าที่
- อำนาจ (am-nâat)power to enforce rules or give orders
- เจ้าหน้าที่ (jâao-nâa-tîi)police or law enforcement collectively
Turkish otorite, yetki
- otoritepower to enforce rules or give orders
- yetkipower to enforce rules or give orders
- salahiyetlilerpolice or law enforcement collectively
- yetkililerpolice or law enforcement collectively
- bilirkişireliable source of information on a subject
- uzmanreliable source of information on a subject
- yetkilireliable source of information on a subject
Ukrainian вла́да, вла́да
- вла́да (vláda)power to enforce rules or give orders
- вла́да (vláda)police or law enforcement collectively
- авторите́т (avtorytét)reliable source of information on a subject
- адміністра́ція (administrácija)government agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
- управлі́ння (upravlínnja)government agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
- керівни́цтво (kerivnýctvo)government agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
Urdu مُقْتَدِرَہ, اِقْتِدار
- مُقْتَدِرَہ (muqtadira)power to enforce rules or give orders
- اِقْتِدار (iqtidār)power to enforce rules or give orders
Vietnamese quyền lực
- quyền lựcpower to enforce rules or give orders
Welsh awdurdod, awdurdod
- awdurdodpower to enforce rules or give orders
- awdurdodpolice or law enforcement collectively
- awdurdodreliable source of information on a subject
- awdurdodgovernment agency that runs a revenue-generating activity
Yiddish אויטאָריטעט, אויטאָריטעט
- אויטאָריטעט (oytoritet)power to enforce rules or give orders
- אויטאָריטעט (oytoritet)reliable source of information on a subject
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with authority
All rhymes →Cite this entry
authority. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/authority
“authority.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/authority. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “authority,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/authority.
Source: authority on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.