Meaning & use

authorize

verb·Academic

To give official permission for an action or give someone the power to act.

See it in a sentence

Only the club treasurer can authorize this purchase.

The manager authorized Maya to collect the equipment.

A note on using this word

Use 'authorize an action' or 'authorize someone to act.' Authorise is a common British spelling.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

forbidprohibit

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “authorize”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.