authority

noun
au·thor·i·ty
/ɔːˈθɒɹəti/

Power or right to make or enforce rules, give orders, or impose obligation; or a position having such power or right.

Example

“I have the authority to penalise the staff in my department, but not the authority to sack them.”

Other meanings

Persons, regarded collectively, who occupy official positions of power; police or law enforcement.
“Authorities say the suspect fled on foot.”
A reliable, definitive source of information on a subject.
“My cheap dictionary is not the authority on word derivations.”

Synonyms

dominance
say-so

Related words

authoritywise
certificate authority
postal authority
rudder authority
enforcement authority
elevator authority
aileron authority
verbal authority
local authority
moral authority
authorityless
public authority

Example sentences

“Time moves with the quiet authority of the stars.”
Tatoeba · Igider · CC0
“They have no moral authority.”
Tatoeba · shekitten · CC0

Word history

From Old French "auctorité".

Where this comes from

This definition is adapted from “authority” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.