Word a Day
authority
What does authority mean?
authority (noun): power or right to make or enforce rules, give orders, or impose obligation; or a position having such power or right.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use authority in a sentence?
- They respect authority. (Tatoeba sentence #2243294 by CK, CC BY 2.0 FR)
How do you pronounce authority?
/əˈθɔɹəti/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does authority come from?
From Middle English auctorite, autorite (“authority, book or quotation that settles an argument”), from Old French auctorité.
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “authority”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “authority” mean?
a small, usually contrasting but always somehow different or distinct, part of something else (location, time, size)
Not quite: that's what patch means.
a device that directs and controls energy, often in the form of movement or electricity, to produce a certain effect
Not quite: that's what machine means.
the front part of the head of a human or other animal, featuring the eyes, nose, and mouth, and the surrounding area
Not quite: that's what face means.
power or right to make or enforce rules, give orders, or impose obligation; or a position having such power or right
Right! That's what “authority” means.
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