authority n
1. the power or right to give orders or make decisions; "he has the authority to issue warrants"; "deputies are given authorization to make arrests" [syn: authorization, authorisation, dominance, say-so]
2. (usually plural) persons who exercise (administrative) control over others; "the authorities have issued a curfew"
3. an expert whose views are taken as definitive; "he is an authority on corporate law"
4. freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities; "his assurance in his superiority did not make him popular"; "after that failure he lost his confidence"; "she spoke with authority" [syn: assurance, self-assurance, confidence, self-confidence, sureness]
5. an administrative unit of government; "the Central Intelligence Agency"; "the Census Bureau"; "Office of Management and Budget"; "Tennessee Valley Authority" [syn: agency, federal agency, government agency, bureau, office]
6. official permission or approval; "authority for the program was renewed several times" [syn: authorization, authorisation, sanction]
7. an authoritative written work; "this book is the final authority on the life of Milton"

Authority \Au*thor"i*ty\, n.; pl. Authorities. [OE. autorite, auctorite, F. autorit['e], fr. L. auctoritas, fr. auctor. See Author, n.]
1. Legal or rightful power; a right to command or to act; power exercised buy a person in virtue of his office or trust; dominion; jurisdiction; authorization; as, the authority of a prince over subjects, and of parents over children; the authority of a court. Thus can the demigod, Authority, Make us pay down for our offense. --Shak. By what authority doest thou these things ? --Matt. xxi. 23.
2. Government; the persons or the body exercising power or

Authority is the ability of a person or an organization to conduct a certain lifestyle for another person or a group. Authority is known as one of the basis of society and stands against cooperation. Adopting lifestyle patterns as a result of authority is called obedience and authority as a concept includes most leadership cases.

Although authority is usually described as a human description there's also reference for authorities which are not human such as godly authorities and traditional authorities.

Authority exists by virtue of a certain social power. This power might be materialistic (such as a threat to harm someone) or fictitious (such as belief in a certain person's power). The power exists because of the possible use of sanction : An action who harms a person who's not obeying the authority or threatening it in order to conduct a social power.

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