authority

/əˈθɔrəti/
noun
  1. The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.
    • The manager has the authority to hire new employees.
    • Parents have authority over their children until they become adults.
    • The police officer used her authority to stop the traffic.
  2. A person or organization that has official power, especially in a particular area.
    • She is the leading authority on bird migration in North America.
    • The school authorities decided to cancel classes due to the snowstorm.
    • The local health authority issued a warning about the water quality.
  3. Expert knowledge or skill in a particular field; a reliable source of information.
    • He speaks with authority on the subject of medieval poetry.
    • The doctor's authority on the disease is recognized worldwide.
    • This encyclopedia is considered an authority on world history.
Antonyms
What does "authority" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean