Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

authority

/əˈθɔɹədi/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.81 in modern English

Syllables: au-thor-i-ty
IPA: /əˈθɔɹədi/

15

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

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

Uncountable

noun

Persons, regarded collectively, who occupy official positions of power; police or law enforcement.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A reliable, definitive source of information on a subject.

Countable

noun

Status as a trustworthy source of information, reputation for mastery or expertise; or claim to such status or reputation.

Uncountable

noun

Official permission; authorisation to act in some capacity on behalf of a ruling entity.

Uncountable

noun

A government-owned agency that runs a revenue-generating activity for public benefit.

Countable

Example Sentences

"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."
"Respect my authority!"
"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."
"But 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."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewg-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₂owg-éye-ti Proto-Italic *augejō Proto-Italic *augeō Latin augeō Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Latin auctor Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts Proto-Italic *-tāts Latin -tās Latin auctōritāsbor. Old French autoritébor. Middle English auctorite English authority 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.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: auctorite, auctorité, -

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /əˈθɔɹədi/
British English: /ɔːˈθɒɹəti/

Usage

Inflected Forms

authorities (plural) authourity (alternative) authoritie (alternative) autority (alternative) auctoritie (alternative)

Derived Forms

antiauthority authoritah authorityless authoritywise coauthority multiauthority

Phrases

aileron authority appeal to authority authority control authority figure authority issues certificate authority color of authority combined authority

Frequently Paired Words

author authoritarian authoritative authorization authorize have something on good authority

Synonyms

command rulership sovereignty control gravitas cred jurisdiction leave sanction allowance authority authorization

Antonyms

impotence powerlessness

Rhymes With

majority minority priority sorority superiority seniority inferiority exteriority anteriority

Questions

How do you pronounce authority?: The recorded pronunciation is /əˈθɔɹədi/.
What does authority mean?: Power or right to make or enforce rules, give orders, or impose obligation; or a position having such power or right.
Where does authority come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce authority

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “authority”.
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