authority

authority — noun

1. the right that comes with a job, role, or law to tell other people what to do an

1.名詞B2
釋義

the right that comes with a job, role, or law to tell other people what to do and to expect them to obey.

例句

As head nurse, Hiro has the authority to send tired staff home early.

have authority to + infinitive

Coach Diaz holds full authority over which players start each game.

authority over + noun

同義詞
  • power

    broader; can be physical or political, not just role-based

  • control

    stresses the day-to-day act of directing, not the underlying right

  • command

    military or hierarchical; stronger top-down feel

反義詞

文法句型

have authority to do something

have authority over someone

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person in a defined role (manager, officer, parent). Distinguish from sense 5: this sense names the right tied to a position, while sense 5 names the personal weight that earns trust.

常見錯誤

❌I have the authority of changing the schedule.
✅I have the authority to change the schedule.
💡use the to-infinitive after 'authority', not 'of + -ing'.
❌Mrs. Lin has authority on the kitchen staff.
✅Mrs. Lin has authority over the kitchen staff.
💡use 'over' for the people or area you control.

2. the people in charge of a place — usually the police, government officials, or c

2.名詞B2
釋義

the people in charge of a place — usually the police, government officials, or council — who can enforce rules and make people follow the law.

例句

Hikers should report any forest fire to the authorities right away.

report to the authorities

The protest stayed peaceful until the authorities closed the main road.

the authorities + verb

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

the authorities

report something to the authorities

用法筆記

Always plural and usually with 'the'. The exact body is left vague on purpose — speakers use it when they don't want to name police, council, or ministry separately. Distinguish from sense 4: sense 4 is one named office; this sense is a collective phrase for whoever is in charge.

常見錯誤

❌A neighbour called authority about the noise.
✅A neighbour called the authorities about the noise.
💡this sense needs the plural 'authorities' with 'the'.

3. formal approval from a senior person or office that lets you do a specific actio

3.名詞B2
釋義

formal approval from a senior person or office that lets you do a specific action, such as signing a contract or entering a restricted area.

例句

Junior staff need written authority from the director before booking flights.

written authority from + person

Without prior authority, no nurse may give a patient extra painkillers.

without (prior) authority

同義詞
反義詞
  • prohibition

    an official 'no'; the opposite of granted permission

文法句型

have authority to do something

without authority

give someone authority to do something

用法筆記

Often appears in the fixed phrases 'without authority' and 'with the authority of [person]'. Frequent in workplace, legal, and medical settings. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is the standing right that comes with a role; this sense is a one-off green light to do a particular act.

常見錯誤

❌He acted under his own authority of the manager.
✅He acted with the authority of the manager.
💡use 'with the authority of [person]' to mean someone backed your action.

4. an official group or office that runs a public service or oversees one area, suc

4.名詞C1
釋義

an official group or office that runs a public service or oversees one area, such as housing, transport, or food safety.

例句

The local housing authority promised 200 new flats by next spring.

[area] + authority

Mr. Chen complained to the water authority about the brown tap water.

complain to the [area] authority

同義詞
  • agency

    common in American English for the same kind of body

  • board

    smaller, often a committee that sets rules

  • commission

    set up to investigate or regulate one issue

文法句型

the [name] authority

local / port / housing authority

用法筆記

Almost always preceded by a defining word that names the area: 'housing authority', 'port authority', 'local authority'. Often capitalised when it is the official name (the Port Authority).

常見錯誤

❌She works for an authority of housing.
✅She works for a housing authority.
💡the area comes before 'authority' as a modifier, not after with 'of'.

5. the quiet weight a person carries because others trust their knowledge, experien

5.名詞C1
釋義

the quiet weight a person carries because others trust their knowledge, experience, or position, so listeners believe what they say.

例句

Dr. Ravi spoke with quiet authority about the new vaccine.

speak with authority

The young teacher already had real authority in the noisy classroom.

同義詞
  • credibility

    stresses being believed; less about presence

  • weight

    informal; the impact of someone's opinion

  • gravitas

    formal; serious, dignified bearing

反義詞
  • uncertainty

    shakiness in tone that makes others doubt you

文法句型

speak with authority

an air of authority

用法筆記

Often appears in 'speak with authority' and 'an air of authority'. Unlike sense 1, this is not granted by a job title — it is earned through expertise or presence, and a person can have it without any formal role.

常見錯誤

❌She has many authority in physics.
✅She speaks with great authority in physics.
💡this sense is uncountable and pairs with adjectives like 'great', 'real', 'quiet', not numbers.

6. a person whose long study of one topic makes other people treat their opinion on

6.名詞C2
釋義

a person whose long study of one topic makes other people treat their opinion on it as the final word.

例句

Professor Okonkwo is a leading authority on West African folk music.

an authority on + topic

For ancient coins, every collector phones Ms. Dubois — she is the authority.

同義詞
  • expert

    everyday word; a person with deep skill or knowledge

  • specialist

    stresses one narrow field, often medical or technical

  • guru

    informal; almost worshipped as a teacher

反義詞
  • amateur

    someone with only casual knowledge of the topic

文法句型

an authority on [subject]

the leading authority on something

用法筆記

Always followed by 'on + topic' (never 'of', never 'in'). Often paired with 'leading', 'world', or 'foremost' to stress how respected the person is.

常見錯誤

❌He is an authority of Roman history.
✅He is an authority on Roman history.
💡use 'on' to introduce the subject area.
❌She is an authority in Korean cinema.
✅She is an authority on Korean cinema.
💡'in' suggests working in a field; 'on' marks the topic of expertise.