What does authority mean?

Question

What does authority mean?

Answer 1

it means to have power/control

Answer 2

authority: adj.

to have power

example.

the casinos have the authority to throw you out if you are cheating.

Until you are 18, your parents have authority.

Answer 3

au·thor·i·ty  

au·thor·i·ty [ə tháwrətee]

(plural au·thor·i·ties)

n

1.  right to command: the right or power to enforce rules or give orders  

2.  holder of power: somebody or something with official power  

3.  power given to somebody: power to act on behalf of somebody else or official permission to do something  

4.  source of reliable information: somebody who is accepted as a source of reliable information on a subject, or a book in which such information is given  

5.  public administration administrative body: an official body that is set up by a government to administer an area of activity (often used in the plural)  

6.  justification: a statement that makes somebody believe something is true  

7.  quality that is respected: the ability to gain the respect of other people and to influence or control what they do  

8.  obvious knowledge and experience: knowledge, skill, or experience worthy of respect  

9.  law source of precedent or principle: a law or legal decision that is cited as establishing a precedent or a principle  

10.  social sciences legitimate power: a form of rule that is seen as legitimate  

[13th century. Via French from Latin auctoritas , from auctor (see author).]