How to Use authority in a Sentence

authority

noun
Definition of authoritynext
Synonyms for authoritynext
  • She has an air of authority.
  • The boss is not popular but his authority is unquestioned.
  • Her southern accent lent authority to her performance.
  • We reported the incident to hospital authorities.
  • Local authorities are investigating the accident.
  • The dead were between the ages of 5 and 7, authorities said.
    — Laís Martins and Lucas Dumphreys, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2023
  • The knife had been taken from a car in the area, authorities have said.
    — Jeff Parrott, Indianapolis Star, 13 Jan. 2020
  • Robinson then grabbed the teen and wrestled the gun out of the youth’s hands, authorities said.
    — Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, 15 May 2023
  • The killer left his DNA, but authorities couldn't find a match.
    — Vic Ryckaert, Indianapolis Star, 13 July 2018
  • The Dodgers hit just two balls with any sort of authority.
    — Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2022
  • As authorities began to secure the area, I was told to leave the grounds.
    — TIME.com, 22 Dec. 2017
  • Our authority figures should have told us the truth from the start.
    — al, 1 May 2021
  • And rather than asking more questions, the authorities take you at your word and close the case.
    — oregonlive, 17 Sep. 2019
  • The issue was a lack of authority, not a lack of money.
    — James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, 13 June 2019
  • British authorities fined Deutsche Bank over the same scheme.
    — Emily Stewart, Vox, 30 Nov. 2018
  • The nuance in these posts gives them heft and authority, even when they’re couched as jokes.
    — New York Times, 5 Feb. 2021
  • Haag, who lived in the basement of the house, was not at home when the mother arrived, authorities said.
    — Julie Shaw, Philly.com, 6 Apr. 2018
  • What good is such authority, if it is not put to use in a crisis?
    — Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2022
  • De Laura has the authority — a level of trust that took months and months to build — to shake Fisch off.
    — Michael Lev, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2022
  • Slick conditions caused the car to leave the road, authorities said.
    — Michael Katz, idahostatesman, 23 Dec. 2017
  • French was then able to gain control of the taser and tased the officer, authorities say.
    — John Sharp | , al, 7 Apr. 2023
  • That record was long the source of the company’s authority.
    — Christopher Beha, Harper’s Magazine , 18 Jan. 2022
  • This is not helpful to the authorities or to the animal.
    — Cyndi Schramm, Houston Chronicle, 10 Sep. 2019
  • The girl’s bicycle was found on the loop, authorities said.
    — Antonio Planas, NBC News, 2 Oct. 2023
  • Charlotte’s bike was found on the loop at 6:45 p.m., authorities said.
    — Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2023
  • The Taiwanese authorities have a way to plug that loophole, too.
    — Mary Hui, Quartz, 31 Mar. 2020
  • So that will be key for each local tourism authority to have a say.
    — Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Oct. 2018
  • What’s up with all those pop stars who no longer dare to challenge authority?
    — Armond White, National Review, 2 Dec. 2020
  • The tower cleared the pilot to land and the pilot made a 180-degree left turn, then flew downwind and crashed into the building, authorities said.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2025
  • Most of the power in the agency, most of the administrative authority comes from laws that Congress has passed, and the agency is then asked to write rules and [regulations] and implement those laws.
    — Dan Gorenstein, NPR, 18 Dec. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'authority.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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