(a) The right to rule or command, legal power; position of authority, official position; of (one's) owen ~, without any outside sanction or authorization, independently; (b) the power to convince or influence people, capacity for inspiring belief or trust.

(a) Official consent or approval, sanction, authorization; the act of authorizing; (b) bi ~ of, with the approval of, by power delegated from; withouten ~, without official sanction, without the approval or consent (of sb.).

(a) Legal validity, authenticity; of ~, officially approved, authentic, valid; (b) recognized worth, value, efficacy; quality of being approved, good reputation.

(a) An authoritative passage or statement, a passage quoted to prove or support a proposition, a text of Scripture; (b) an authoritative book or writing; authoritative doctrine (as opposed to reason or experience); also, an author whose opinions or statements are regarded as correct; maken ~, to quote as authoritative.