authority

authority — noun

1. the right that comes with a job, role, or law to tell other people what to do an

1.nounB2
Definition

the right that comes with a job, role, or law to tell other people what to do and to expect them to obey.

Example

As head nurse, Hiro has the authority to send tired staff home early.

have authority to + infinitive

Coach Diaz holds full authority over which players start each game.

authority over + noun

Common collocations
  • have the authority to
  • exercise authority
  • lose authority
  • delegate authority
  • authority over
Synonyms
  • power

    broader; can be physical or political, not just role-based

  • control

    stresses the day-to-day act of directing, not the underlying right

  • command

    military or hierarchical; stronger top-down feel

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

have authority to do something

have authority over someone

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person in a defined role (manager, officer, parent). Distinguish from sense 5: this sense names the right tied to a position, while sense 5 names the personal weight that earns trust.

Common Mistakes

I have the authority of changing the schedule.
I have the authority to change the schedule.
use the to-infinitive after 'authority', not 'of + -ing'.
Mrs. Lin has authority on the kitchen staff.
Mrs. Lin has authority over the kitchen staff.
use 'over' for the people or area you control.

2. the people in charge of a place — usually the police, government officials, or c

2.nounB2
Definition

the people in charge of a place — usually the police, government officials, or council — who can enforce rules and make people follow the law.

Example

Hikers should report any forest fire to the authorities right away.

report to the authorities

The protest stayed peaceful until the authorities closed the main road.

the authorities + verb

Common collocations
  • the authorities
  • report to the authorities
  • alert the authorities
  • local authorities
  • by the authorities
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the authorities

report something to the authorities

Usage Note

Always plural and usually with 'the'. The exact body is left vague on purpose — speakers use it when they don't want to name police, council, or ministry separately. Distinguish from sense 4: sense 4 is one named office; this sense is a collective phrase for whoever is in charge.

Common Mistakes

A neighbour called authority about the noise.
A neighbour called the authorities about the noise.
this sense needs the plural 'authorities' with 'the'.

3. formal approval from a senior person or office that lets you do a specific actio

3.nounB2
Definition

formal approval from a senior person or office that lets you do a specific action, such as signing a contract or entering a restricted area.

Example

Junior staff need written authority from the director before booking flights.

written authority from + person

Without prior authority, no nurse may give a patient extra painkillers.

without (prior) authority

Common collocations
  • without authority
  • give authority
  • grant authority
  • written authority
  • prior authority
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • prohibition

    an official 'no'; the opposite of granted permission

Grammar Patterns

have authority to do something

without authority

give someone authority to do something

Usage Note

Often appears in the fixed phrases 'without authority' and 'with the authority of [person]'. Frequent in workplace, legal, and medical settings. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is the standing right that comes with a role; this sense is a one-off green light to do a particular act.

Common Mistakes

He acted under his own authority of the manager.
He acted with the authority of the manager.
use 'with the authority of [person]' to mean someone backed your action.

4. an official group or office that runs a public service or oversees one area, suc

4.nounC1
Definition

an official group or office that runs a public service or oversees one area, such as housing, transport, or food safety.

Example

The local housing authority promised 200 new flats by next spring.

[area] + authority

Mr. Chen complained to the water authority about the brown tap water.

complain to the [area] authority

Common collocations
  • local authority
  • housing authority
  • port authority
  • transport authority
  • regulatory authority
Synonyms
  • agency

    common in American English for the same kind of body

  • board

    smaller, often a committee that sets rules

  • commission

    set up to investigate or regulate one issue

Grammar Patterns

the [name] authority

local / port / housing authority

Usage Note

Almost always preceded by a defining word that names the area: 'housing authority', 'port authority', 'local authority'. Often capitalised when it is the official name (the Port Authority).

Common Mistakes

She works for an authority of housing.
She works for a housing authority.
the area comes before 'authority' as a modifier, not after with 'of'.

5. the quiet weight a person carries because others trust their knowledge, experien

5.nounC1
Definition

the quiet weight a person carries because others trust their knowledge, experience, or position, so listeners believe what they say.

Example

Dr. Ravi spoke with quiet authority about the new vaccine.

speak with authority

The young teacher already had real authority in the noisy classroom.

Common collocations
  • speak with authority
  • an air of authority
  • moral authority
  • carry authority
  • natural authority
Synonyms
  • credibility

    stresses being believed; less about presence

  • weight

    informal; the impact of someone's opinion

  • gravitas

    formal; serious, dignified bearing

Antonyms
  • uncertainty

    shakiness in tone that makes others doubt you

Grammar Patterns

speak with authority

an air of authority

Usage Note

Often appears in 'speak with authority' and 'an air of authority'. Unlike sense 1, this is not granted by a job title — it is earned through expertise or presence, and a person can have it without any formal role.

Common Mistakes

She has many authority in physics.
She speaks with great authority in physics.
this sense is uncountable and pairs with adjectives like 'great', 'real', 'quiet', not numbers.

6. a person whose long study of one topic makes other people treat their opinion on

6.nounC2
Definition

a person whose long study of one topic makes other people treat their opinion on it as the final word.

Example

Professor Okonkwo is a leading authority on West African folk music.

an authority on + topic

For ancient coins, every collector phones Ms. Dubois — she is the authority.

Common collocations
  • a leading authority on
  • the world authority on
  • an authority on
  • foremost authority
  • cite an authority
Synonyms
  • expert

    everyday word; a person with deep skill or knowledge

  • specialist

    stresses one narrow field, often medical or technical

  • guru

    informal; almost worshipped as a teacher

Antonyms
  • amateur

    someone with only casual knowledge of the topic

Grammar Patterns

an authority on [subject]

the leading authority on something

Usage Note

Always followed by 'on + topic' (never 'of', never 'in'). Often paired with 'leading', 'world', or 'foremost' to stress how respected the person is.

Common Mistakes

He is an authority of Roman history.
He is an authority on Roman history.
use 'on' to introduce the subject area.
She is an authority in Korean cinema.
She is an authority on Korean cinema.
'in' suggests working in a field; 'on' marks the topic of expertise.
Idioms

have something on good authority

idiom

to feel sure that a piece of news is true because it came from a person you trust, often someone close to the events.

I have it on good authority that the bakery will reopen in May.

Lena has it on good authority that the new manager used to teach high school maths.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe the ability to direct other people, but they sit at different points on the formal-to-informal scale. Authority is the right that comes from a recognised role, law, or office — a teacher, a police officer, or a hospital director has it because of position. Power is broader and can be physical, political, or even moral; a dictator may have power without legitimate authority. Control focuses on the day-to-day act of steering people or events: a coach controls training even on a day when no formal decisions are made. Command is the most hierarchical, common in military or ship contexts, and stresses the chain through which orders flow. Compare: 'The captain has authority over the crew' (rightful role), 'The captain has command of the ship' (operational chain), and 'The captain has tight control of the crew' (close, hands-on management).

authority ↗power ↗control ↗command ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in authority
  • under the authority of
  • by what authority
  • lines of authority
  • abuse of authority

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Authority entered English in the 1200s through Old French 'autorite', from Latin 'auctoritas', meaning 'opinion, influence, command'. The Latin noun grew from 'auctor' — an originator, founder, or master, the same root that gives us 'author'. The early English meaning was the weight of a respected writer's words; from there it spread to the right to give orders, then to the bodies and people that hold that right.