authorities

noun

plural of authority
1
as in experts
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field the leading authority on neural anatomy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in governments
lawful control over the affairs of a political unit (as a nation) the sheriff had authority over the whole county

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in influences
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly speaks with a persuasive authority on matters of public health

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in powers
the right or means to command or control others by the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you married

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in reasons
something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing I had good authority to believe that the information was correct

Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in sources
something mentioned in a text as providing related and especially supporting information the Bible is the sole authority for his impassioned defense of creationism

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of authorities Two more people were killed in a Russian attack Tuesday on warehouses on the outskirts of Dnipro in central Ukraine, authorities said. — Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026 Russian authorities accused the Michigan man of signing a contract with Ukraine’s military in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum after Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. — Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 The chase then continued north before the car headed east on Highway 50 to elude authorities. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026 When a human rights group tipped off authorities to the cult in 2023, some of the members were rescued. — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2026 They have been repeatedly praised by Kennedy, but are currently under investigation for alleged scientific misconduct by Danish authorities. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026 France’s justice minister vowed a hard line, while Parliament opened an inquiry into the violence and authorities’ policing strategy, with findings expected by year’s end. — Tom Nouvian, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026 Elsewhere in the world, authorities have warned of growing threats to lawmakers. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 On Monday, Saudi authorities extended the airport’s closure until Saturday, and regional carriers have temporarily suspended flights. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authorities
  1. experts
  2. governments
  3. influences
  4. powers
  5. reasons
  6. sources
  7. scholars
  8. rules
Noun
  • But experts caution that escalating pressure does not necessarily mean Tehran will back down.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Oil producers have found ways to keep crude flowing, experts say, but at a mounting cost.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of experts
Noun
  • In their letter, the bishops attempted to balance human dignity and a right for governments to humanely protect borders.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The country is divided between rival administrations, each backed by different armed groups and foreign governments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of governments
Noun
  • Beirut's private-press scene has little in common with the studio culture of ’80s Tokyo, where an abundance of resources and technology filtered the same foreign influences into something more perfect and polished.
    — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Over the years, his wardrobe has moved between sharp tailoring, sporty staples, and collegiate influences, with shell jackets, fleeces, wide-legged trousers, and oversized silhouettes all making regular appearances.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of influences
Noun
  • DeepSeek's products for federal civilian agencies, highlighting friction in the two AI powers’ heated technology race.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Solving the problem on the international level would be difficult, as international bodies have no powers to enforce compliance.
    — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of powers
Noun
  • Experts studying fear have theorized that one of the major reasons people are flocking to horror experiences lately — whether theme parks, novels or movies — is that the world feels so uncertain.
    — Ayesha Rascoe, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • But the offensive line has turned out to be TCU’s biggest weakness this season and one of the primary reasons the program sits at 3-4 (1-3 Big 12).
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of reasons
Noun
  • Many of the office’s attorneys, particularly in its misdemeanor corps, work with basement-level spirits, according to one of the sources.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Last month, citing anonymous sources, Reuters reported that Solidigm was holding pitch meetings with investment banks for an IPO that could value the company at up to $150 billion.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of sources
Noun
  • Rooney’s growing list of supporters includes scholars like Amitav Ghosh, Namwali Serpell, Naomi Klein, and Slavoj Zizek.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Nupedia was written and peer-reviewed by scholars, and was eventually supposed to make money from advertising.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of scholars
Noun
  • All three said West Point appears to be circumventing the judge's ruling by using a different justification to continue to enforce its speech rules.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • This exploits a loophole in the government's fiscal rules, as money given to these institutions does not count as extra borrowing.
    — Ian King, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of rules

Browse Nearby Words

authoritativeness
authorities
authority
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Authorities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authorities. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All