Au*thor"i*ty (&?;), n.; pl.
Authorities (&?;). [OE. autorite,
auctorite, F. autorité, 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 command; as, the local authorities of the States; the
military authorities. [Chiefly in the plural.]
3. The power derived from opinion, respect, or
esteem; influence of character, office, or station, or mental or moral
superiority, and the like; claim to be believed or obeyed; as, an historian
of no authority; a magistrate of great authority.
4. That which, or one who, is claimed or appealed
to in support of opinions, actions, measures, etc. Hence:
(a) Testimony; witness. "And on that high
authority had believed." Milton. (b) A
precedent; a decision of a court, an official declaration, or an opinion,
saying, or statement worthy to be taken as a precedent.
(c) A book containing such a statement or opinion, or
the author of the book. (d) Justification;
warrant.
Wilt thou be glass wherein it shall discern
Authority for sin, warrant for blame.
Shak.
