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Meaning & use

authoritative

adjective·Academic

Last updated

UK/ɔːˈθɒrɪtətɪv/
US/əˈθɔːrəteɪtɪv/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparableapproving

    Trusted as correct and reliable because it comes from a real expert or an official source.

    Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: an authoritative guide, the report is authoritative.

    Patterns

    • an authoritative source
    • an authoritative account

    This is the most authoritative book on the history of jazz.

    Check an authoritative source before you quote the statistic.

    The museum published an authoritative guide to local birds.

  2. adjectivecomparable

    Showing confidence and the power to give orders, so that people respect and obey you.

    Grammar: Describes a person's manner or voice: an authoritative tone.

    Patterns

    • an authoritative tone
    • an authoritative voice

    The teacher spoke in a calm, authoritative voice and the class fell silent.

    He had an authoritative way of walking into a room.

    Her authoritative manner reassured the nervous passengers.

  3. adjectivebefore a nounformal

    Having the legal or official right to make decisions.

    Grammar: Formal use, rare compared with the other meanings: an authoritative body.

    Patterns

    • an authoritative decision
    • an authoritative body

    Only an authoritative body can change the rules.

    The ruling was authoritative and ended the dispute.

    The commission issued an authoritative statement on the matter.

Word forms

comparativemore authoritative
superlativemost authoritative

Common combinations

an authoritative source
A government report is an authoritative source for such figures.
an authoritative voice
The pilot's authoritative voice calmed everyone.
an authoritative account
This book offers the authoritative account of the war.
the authoritative guide
She wrote the authoritative guide to wild mushrooms.
an authoritative tone
He used an authoritative tone to settle the argument.

Synonyms and how they differ

reliable
Reliable means you can trust it to be correct or dependable, but does not imply expert or official status.
definitive
Definitive suggests that a work is so complete it ends the discussion, while authoritative only means it is expert and trusted.
commanding
Commanding describes a strong, impressive presence, and is used for people more than for books or sources.
domineering
Domineering is negative and describes someone who bosses others, while authoritative is usually positive.

Opposites

unreliabletentativehesitant

Word family

authority noun
the power to give orders, or an expert
authoritatively adverb
in a confident, expert way
authorize verb
to give official permission
authoritarian adjective
demanding strict obedience to rules and leaders

Commonly confused: authoritative or authoritarian? authoritative or authentic?

authoritative vs authoritarian

Authoritarian describes a harsh style of control that demands obedience, whereas authoritative is respectful and linked to expertise.

authoritative vs authentic

Authentic means genuine rather than fake, while authoritative means trusted because of expertise.

Practice

The article quoted an ______ source: a professor who has studied the disease for thirty years.

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