AUTHORITIES Synonyms: 154 Similar and Opposite Words

authorities

noun

plural of authority

as in experts

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

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in governments

lawful control over the affairs of a political unit (as a nation) the sheriff had authority over the whole county

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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

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as in powers

the right or means to command or control others by the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you married

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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

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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

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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 The children reported their finding to the authorities, and the investigation began. — Veronica Fulton, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026 When federal authorities announced the case in 2022, investigators said Jacobsen may have been in contact with as many as 175 potential victims through Snapchat. — Dean J. Condoleo, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026 However, the plan imposes no mandatory cuts on the four upper basin states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming — which, unlike the lower basin, cannot be compelled to cut water by federal authorities. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026 The lack of wreckage has hampered efforts to determine the cause of the sinking and where to focus search operations, authorities said. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 Two cars were involved in a rollover crash that sent 10 people to the hospital in South Whittier on Sunday night, authorities said. — Iris Kwok aug. 24, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 That's where authorities broke up confrontations and made some arrests after supporters from both sides clashed. — J.d. Miles, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 In 2023, Mexican authorities made a their own formal request to the Dutch seeking the repatriation of the skull, which Dutch officials confirmed in December of 2024. — News Desk, Artforum, 18 Aug. 2026 Federal authorities initially accused Sosa-Celis and Aljorna of beating an officer. — Mark Vancleave, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for authorities

Noun

Industry experts generally expect crude oil and LNG tankers to be granted priority clearance due to their criticality to global energy supplies, while container ships and other cargo vessels may face longer wait times.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
In recent studies by AccuWeather experts, excessive rainfall can contribute to insect and fungus damage in parts of Pennsylvania, which may lead to duller colors and earlier leaf drop.

— Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of experts

Noun

Waste plastic could provide another source of hydrocarbons for fuel production, particularly as governments and industry look for ways to deal with both plastic waste and aviation emissions.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Much of the remaining acreage consists of brownfield developments that were allowed to dilapidate into disrepair under the governments of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro.

— David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of governments

Noun

Clever and snappy, fresh and silly, a winning combination of classic Looney Tunes gags and contemporary concerns (the press notes mention many influences including, no joke, The Insider).

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Typically, in the success stories, there's a strong bond between the child and the parents that managed to survive a lot of the negative influences that can happen along the journey.

— Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of influences

Noun

This is viewed as part of his decentralization agenda, aiming to transfer powers in areas such as skills training and select tax authorities from London to local combined authorities.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
The Quorum Court voted in August 2023 to strip certain powers from the Saline County Library Board and increase the county's direct control over the library system.

— Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of powers

Noun

This increase happens for two reasons — both tied to the fact that El Niño is characterized by warmer than average ocean temperatures in the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Less than a week after our Zoom conversation with Knapp, an unrelated Good Good collab went viral for all of the wrong reasons.

— Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of reasons

Noun

Renewable energy credits serve as proof that a company uses electricity from clean energy sources like solar farms, according to the Retail Energy Supply Association.

— Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
Other dark leafy greens, such as Swiss chard and collard greens, are good sources, too.

— Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of sources

Noun

This coexistence of one god and many gods may initially appear contradictory, but a clearer picture emerges by tracing the history of how Hindu texts, traditions, and thinkers—and some Western scholars—have answered this question.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
But legal scholars say those cases are different because the doctors weren't in Louisiana and never fled the state and became fugitives.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of scholars

Noun

Landlords and billing firms argue RUBS promotes conservation and recoups rising costs, even as studies, regulators and a recent legal settlement push for submetering and stronger transparency rules.

— Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
But the court’s unsigned emergency ruling injects new uncertainty about voting rules in Georgia a little more than two months before the midterms.

— Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of rules

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authorities

authority

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Style

“Authorities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authorities. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of authorities

noun

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