Added 30 September 2026
authority
/ɔːˈθɒɹəti/ noun
In Latin: auctōritās Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about authority at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Power or right to make or enforce rules, give orders, or impose obligation; or a position having such power or right.
I have the authority to penalise the staff in my department, but not the authority to sack them.
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Persons, regarded collectively, who occupy official positions of power; police or law enforcement.
Authorities say the suspect fled on foot.
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A reliable, definitive source of information on a subject.
the world's foremost authority on orangutans
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)