authority

[[t]ɔːθɒ̱rɪti, AM -tɔ͟ːr-[/t]]

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authorities

1) N-PLURAL: oft the N The authorities are the people who have the power to make decisions and to make sure that laws are obeyed.

This provided a pretext for the authorities to cancel the elections...

The prison authorities have been criticised for not moving more quickly to end the protest by inmates.

2) N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft in names An authority is an official organization or government department that has the power to make decisions.

→ See also local authority

...the Health Education Authority...

Any alterations had to meet the approval of the local planning authority.

3) N-UNCOUNT Authority is the right to command and control other people.

Local police chiefs should re-emerge as figures of authority and reassurance in their areas...

The judge had no authority to order a second trial.

4) N-UNCOUNT If someone has authority, they have a quality which makes other people take notice of what they say.

He had no natural authority and no capacity for imposing his will on others.

5) N-UNCOUNT Authority is official permission to do something.

The prison governor has refused to let him go, saying he must first be given authority from his own superiors.

Syn:

sanction

6) N-COUNT: N on n Someone who is an authority on a particular subject knows a lot about it.

He's universally recognized as an authority on Russian affairs.

Syn:

expert

7) PHRASE: V inflects, PHR that If you say you have it on good authority that something is true, you mean that you believe it is true because you trust the person who told you about it.

I have it on good authority that there's no way this light can cause skin cancer.