Authority — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ə-ˈthȯr-ə-tē/ au·thor·i·ty

Meaning & Definition of Authority

Authority (noun)

  1. power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior
  2. freedom granted by one in authority, right
  3. persons in command; specifically, government

Authority (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

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

    "the leading authority on neural anatomy"

    similar: ace, adept, artist, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack, dab (chiefly British), dab hand (chiefly British), expert, fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, master, maven, meister, past master, proficient, scholar, shark, sharp, virtuoso, whiz, wizard
    related: pro, professional, consultant, hired gun, specialist, addict, aficionado, buff, devotee, enthusiast, fan, craftsman, journeyman, all-rounder (British), jack-of-all-trades, Renaissance man, mistress
    opposite: amateur, inexpert, nonexpert
    near: apprentice, beginner, neophyte, novice, dabbler, dilettante, layman, nonprofessional

  2. lawful control over the affairs of a political unit (as a nation)

    "the sheriff had authority over the whole county"

    similar: administration, governance, government, jurisdiction, regime, regimen, rule
    related: reign, dominion, power, sovereignty, 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"

    similar: clout, credit, heft, in, influence, juice (slang), leverage, pull, sway, weight
    related: counterinfluence, command, dominance, dominion, mastery, predominance, reign, scepter, sovereignty, supremacy, consequence, eminence, importance, moment, impact, impress, impression, imprint, mark
    near: 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"

    similar: arm, clutch, command, control, death grip, dominion, grip, hold, mastery, power, reign, rein(s), sway
    related: clout, influence, leverage, pull, voice, weight, jurisdiction, direction, management, dominance, imperium, predominance, sovereignty, supremacy, prerogative, privilege, right, eminence, importance, moment
    opposite: impotence, impotency, powerlessness
    near: helplessness, weakness

  5. something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing

    "I had good authority to believe that the information was correct"

    similar: account, grounds, motive, reason, subject, wherefore, why
    related: 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"

    similar: reference, source
    related: 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"

    similar: cogency, conclusiveness, convincingness, effectiveness, force, forcefulness, persuasion, persuasiveness, suasiveness
    related: impact, might, power, punch, strength, weight, believability, credibility, soundness, validity, authoritativeness, definitiveness, influence, sway, appeal, seductiveness
    opposite: inconclusiveness, ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness
    near: invalidity, shakiness, unsoundness, feebleness, powerlessness, weakness

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Authority

The most common words with a similar meaning to Authority:

Chiefly British: dab, dab hand
Slang: juice
ace, adept, artist, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack, expert, fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, master, maven, meister, past master, proficient, scholar, shark, sharp, virtuoso, whiz, wizard, administration, governance, government, jurisdiction, regime, regimen, rule, clout, credit, heft, in, influence, leverage, pull, sway, weight

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Authority

Words with the opposite meaning of Authority:

amateur, inexpert, nonexpert, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, inconclusiveness, ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness

Related Words for Authority

pro, professional, consultant, hired gun, specialist, addict, aficionado, buff, devotee, enthusiast, fan, craftsman, journeyman, all-rounder, jack-of-all-trades, Renaissance man, mistress, sovereignty, supremacy, leadership, direction, management, regulation, superintendence, supervision, autocracy, dictatorship, domination, hegemony, oppression

Near Antonyms of Authority

apprentice, beginner, neophyte, novice, dabbler, dilettante, layman, nonprofessional, helplessness, weakness, invalidity, shakiness, unsoundness, feebleness

Word Forms of Authority

Inflections: authorities

Origin & Etymology of Authority

Middle English autorite, auctorite, borrowed from Anglo-French autorité, auctorité, borrowed from Latin auctōritāt-, auctōritās "right of ownership, sanction, approval, the power to authorize or sanction, convincing force of an utterance or appearance," from auctōr-, auctor "originator, creator, authority" + -itāt-, -itās -ity author:1

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Authority

Words & Phrases Containing Authority

authority figure, anti-authority, figure of authority, have it on good/excellent authority, in a position of authority, in authority, local authority, moral authority, on one's own authority

Frequently Asked Questions about Authority

What does "Authority" mean?

"Authority" means power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior. As a noun, it is defined as: power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Authority"?

Other words for "Authority" include ace, adept, artist, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack, dab and dab hand. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Authority" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Authority"?

There are 151 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Authority". Common alternatives include ace, adept, artist, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack, dab, dab hand, expert and fiend.

What is the opposite of "Authority"?

Antonyms of "Authority" include amateur, inexpert, nonexpert, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, inconclusiveness and ineffectiveness. Near antonyms include apprentice, beginner, neophyte and novice.

How do you use "Authority" in a sentence?

Examples of "Authority" in a sentence: "the leading authority on neural anatomy"; "the sheriff had authority over the whole county"; "speaks with a persuasive authority on matters of public health".

Is "Authority" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Authority" is a noun.

Is "Authority" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Authority" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Authority"?

"Authority" is pronounced /ə-ˈthȯr-ə-tē/ and divided into syllables as au·thor·i·ty.