authority

/əˈθɔr·ɪ·t̬i/, /əˈθɑr-/ n [C/U]

Definition

› the power to control or demand obedience from others: [U] The police have no legal authority in these disputes. [U] We have to find someone in authority (= a position of power). › An authority is someone with official responsibility for a particular area of activity: [C] government/church authorities › The authorities are the police or other government officials: No attacks were reported to the authorities. › An authority on a subject is an expert on it: [C] an authority on immigration law

(Definition of authority n from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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