1
as in expert
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
the leading authority on neural anatomy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in government
lawful control over the affairs of a political unit (as a nation)
the sheriff had authority over the whole county
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
speaks with a persuasive authority on matters of public health
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in power
the right or means to command or control others
by the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you married
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in reason
something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing
I had good authority to believe that the information was correct
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
7
as in effectiveness
the capacity to persuade
a strict grammarian whose pronouncements carried plenty of authority with my third-grade English teacher
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of authority
An 18-year-old man was in critical condition, and the other nine victims were between ages 18 and 29 and in stable condition, authorities said later Monday.
—
Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 28 July 2025
Passengers slid down an emergency slide of a smoking jet at Denver International Airport due to a possible problem with the plane’s landing gear, authorities said.
—Jeff Martin, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
Nine of the stabbings took place in the store, while one occurred in the vestibule and another outside the store, authorities said.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 28 July 2025
Traditional acquisitions would face months of review, public disclosure, and potential blocking by antitrust authorities.
—Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for authority
Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 28 July 2025
Passengers slid down an emergency slide of a smoking jet at Denver International Airport due to a possible problem with the plane’s landing gear, authorities said.
—Jeff Martin, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
Nine of the stabbings took place in the store, while one occurred in the vestibule and another outside the store, authorities said.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 28 July 2025
Traditional acquisitions would face months of review, public disclosure, and potential blocking by antitrust authorities.
—Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for authority
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authority
Noun
-
Legal experts on religion cases expect the court will side with the Rastafarian.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
2 Aug. 2025
-
An emergency mental health crisis hold isn’t enough to stop someone from buying a gun, though, according to experts who spoke to the Review Journal.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The Israeli government has denied that its policies are causing starvation in Gaza.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
31 July 2025
-
Should people have easy access to almost any health-care intervention, or should the government protect vulnerable patients from drugs for which there isn’t rigorous evidence of benefit?—
Benjamin Mazer,
The Atlantic,
31 July 2025
Noun
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Many analysts see the dispute as a test of which superpower has more influence in this strategic part of Southeast Asia; the U.S., which conducts joint military exercises with Thailand, or China, which is the biggest trading partner of both Cambodia and Thailand.—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
28 July 2025
-
Yoon said the martial law declaration, which the National Assembly rescinded after six hours, was necessary to fight North Korean influence among opponents to his leadership in the South Korean government.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
The storms also caused widespread power outages across the region.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
30 July 2025
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Trump has the power to pardon Maxwell or to commute her sentence.—
Aysha Bagchi,
The Courier-Journal,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
The administration maintains that the naysayers are wrong, and alas, there is indeed reason to suspect the official narrative of financial experts.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
25 July 2025
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Part of the reason for their refusal, the OP claims, is that this wasn't the first time they had been asked for the same favor — and had a different outcome.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
This shift reframes resilience as a source of growth and stability.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Indeed, the former official said, Israel had largely given up trying to cultivate human sources inside Hamas and Hezbollah.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Noun
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There’s also a potential downside to the biggest upside: ownership of the masters.—
Todd Longwell,
Variety,
30 July 2025
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Initial plans for the West Palm Beach envision as many as 1,000 students who would be enrolled in graduate-level business programs—such as an Executive MBA and master’s in finance—as well as other fields like artificial intelligence, data science and computer science.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Noun
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What if my neighbor doesn't follow Milwaukee's rules about weeds and grass?—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
25 July 2025
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The finding has long served as the foundation for a host of policies and rules to address climate change.—
Jeff Brady,
NPR,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Authority.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authority. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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