authorize
UK /ˈɔːθəɹaɪz/ · US /ˈɔθəɹaɪz/ verb
Forms authorizes authorizing authorized authorise authourize
- verb (ambitransitive) To grant (someone) the permission or power necessary to do (something); to permit; to sanction or consent to. “The General Assembly authorized the Council to take up the matter.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English auctorisen, from Old French auctorisier, from Medieval Latin auctōrizāre, from Latin auctor.
See author about the orthography with ⟨h⟩. Doublet of octroy.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To clothe with authority, warrant, or legal power; to give a right to act; to empower; as, to authorize commissioners to settle a boundary.
- verb To make legal; to give legal sanction to; to legalize; as, to authorize a marriage.
Etymology [OE. autorize, F. autoriser, fr. LL. auctorizare, authorisare. See Author.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “authorize”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details