power, authority, jurisdiction, control, command, sway, dominion mean the right to govern or rule or determine. power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence.

The element of legitimacy is vital to the notion of authority and is the main means by which authority is distinguished from the more general concept of power. Power can be exerted by the use of force or …

AUTHORITY definition: 1. the moral or legal right or ability to control: 2. a group of people with official…. Learn more.

AUTHORITY definition: the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine. See examples of authority used in a sentence.

Authority, control, influence denote a power or right to direct the actions or thoughts of others.

1. the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues; the right to control, command, or determine. 2. a power or right delegated or given; authorization.

If you have the authority to do something, you have the right or power to do it. You are the big cheese. Or, if you know more about a topic than most, you are an authority on that topic.

There are ten meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun authority. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Authority, the exercise of legitimate influence by one social actor over another. There are many ways in which an individual or entity can influence another to behave differently, and not all of them have …

authority noun (OFFICIAL GROUP) an official group or government department with power to control particular public services: the local housing authority