authoritative
adjective
au·thor·i·ta·tive
ə-ˈthȯr-ə-ˌtā-tiv 
ȯ-,
-ˈthär-
1
: having, marked by, or proceeding from authority
authoritative church doctrines
an authoritative decision
an authoritative manner
2
: possessing recognized or evident authority : clearly accurate or knowledgeable
an authoritative critique
an authoritative source of information
authoritatively
adverb
authoritativeness
noun
Examples of authoritative in a Sentence
The book is an authoritative guide to the city's restaurants.
His manner is polite but authoritative.
She addressed the group with an authoritative voice.
Recent Examples on the Web
Vancouver had an authoritative control of shots and scoring chances but fell 3-2 in overtime.
—
Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
Voters were searching elsewhere for authoritative opinion.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2025
The Celtics’ regulars then scuffled through the final 12 minutes, keeping the Bulls at arm’s length but not delivering any sort of authoritative knockout blow.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
Blogging, in turn, had its own demands—namely, the need to post constantly—which necessitated faster access to authoritative sources.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for authoritative 
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Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
Voters were searching elsewhere for authoritative opinion.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2025
The Celtics’ regulars then scuffled through the final 12 minutes, keeping the Bulls at arm’s length but not delivering any sort of authoritative knockout blow.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
Blogging, in turn, had its own demands—namely, the need to post constantly—which necessitated faster access to authoritative sources.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for authoritative
Dictionary Entries Near authoritative
Cite this Entry
“Authoritative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritative. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
authoritative
adjective
au·thor·i·ta·tive
ə-ˈthär-ə-ˌtāt-iv
ȯ-,
-ˈthȯr-
: having or coming from authority
authoritatively
adverb
authoritativeness
noun
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