- (v.t.) To justify; to furnish a ground for.
- (v.t.) To clothe with authority, warrant or legal power; to give a right to act; to empower; as, to authorize commissioners to settle a boundary.
- (v.t.) To make legal; to give legal sanction to; to legalize; as, to authorize a marriage.
- (v.t.) To sanction or confirm by the authority of some one; to warrant; as, to authorize a report.
- (v.t.) To establish by authority, as by usage or public opinion; to sanction; as, idioms authorized by usage.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). authorize. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/authorize/definitions/1977244 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "authorize" http://smartdefine.org/authorize/definitions/1977244 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, authorize, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/authorize/definitions/1977244>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "authorize" 27 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/authorize/definitions/1977244> |