- (n.) A book containing such a statement or opinion or the author of the book.
- (n.) Legal or rightful power; a right to command or to act; power exercised buy a person in virtue of his office or trust; dominion; jurisdiction; authorization; as, the authority of a prince over subjects, and of parents over children; the authority of a court.
- (n.) Testimony; witness.
- (n.) Justification; warrant.
- (n.) The power derived from opinion, respect or esteem; influence of character, office or station or mental or moral superiority, and the like; claim to be believed or obeyed; as, an historian of no authority; a magistrate of great authority.
- (n.) That which or one who, is claimed or appealed to in support of opinions, actions, measures, etc.
- (n.) A precedent; a decision of a court, an official declaration or an opinion, saying or statement worthy to be taken as a precedent.
- (n.) Government; the persons or the body exercising power or command; as, the local authorities of the States; the military authorities.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). authority. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/authority/definitions/1977241 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "authority" http://smartdefine.org/authority/definitions/1977241 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, authority, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/authority/definitions/1977241>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "authority" 27 May 2011. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/authority/definitions/1977241> |