Standard Lemma guide

authorization

noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɔːθəɹaɪˈzeɪʃən/
  • British, Southern, Standard: /ˌoːθəɹɑjˈzɛjʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˌɔθəɹəˈzeɪʃən/ without the cot–caught merger
  • cot-caught-merger: /ˌɑθəɹəˈzeɪʃən/
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˌoːθəɹɑeˈzæɪʃən/
  • Scotland: /ˌɔθəɾaɪˈzeʃən/
  • Wales: /ˌɔːθəɾaɪˈzeːʃən/ without the pane–pain merger
  • CMU ARPABET: AO2 TH ER0 AH0 Z EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An act of authorizing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: assent, consent, sanction, accedence, allowance, approbation, approval, assentment, authorization

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere; formally granted permission.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, uncountable

Examples

  • I've got authorization. Call the office and you'll see.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: authority, leave, sanction, allowance, authorization, clearance, consent, license, mandate, permission, permit, warrant

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A document giving formal sanction, permission or warrant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, countable

Examples

  • Can I see your authorization?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Permission, possibly limited, to spend funds for a specific budgetary purpose.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, countable, uncountable

Topics: government

Examples

  • We've had the authorization for years, but we've never gotten an appropriation.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the act of conferring legality or sanction or formal warrant

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: authorisation, empowerment

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: management, direction

Narrower terms: sanction, license, permission, permit, certification, enfranchisement, commission, commissioning, delegating, delegation, relegating, relegation, deputation, loan approval, rubber stamp

6

noun

Meaning 6

official permission or approval

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • authority for the program was renewed several times

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: authority, authorisation, sanction

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: permission

7

noun

Meaning 7

the power or right to give orders or make decisions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he has the authority to issue warrants
  • deputies are given authorization to make arrests
  • a place of potency in the state

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: authority, authorisation, potency, dominance, say-so

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: control

Narrower terms: power of appointment, carte blanche, command, imperium, lordship, muscle, sovereignty

8

noun

Meaning 8

a document giving an official instruction or command

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mandate, authorisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: legal document, legal instrument, official document, instrument

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English authorize Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English authorization From authorize + -ation.

Across languages

Translations

86 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: autorizim — act of authorizing
  • Bashkir: рөхсәт (röxsət) — act of authorizing
  • Belarusian: дазво́л (dazvól) — act of authorizing
  • Belarusian: дазвале́нне (dazvaljénnje) — act of authorizing
  • Belarusian: аўтарыза́цыя (awtaryzácyja) — act of authorizing
  • Bulgarian: упълномоща́ване (upǎlnomoštávane) — act of authorizing
  • Catalan: autorització — act of authorizing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 授權 /授权 (shòuquán) — act of authorizing
  • Czech: povolování — act of authorizing
  • Dutch: machtiging — act of authorizing
  • Dutch: volmacht — act of authorizing
  • Dutch: vergunning — act of authorizing
  • Dutch: autorisatie — act of authorizing
  • Estonian: volitus — act of authorizing
  • Finnish: valtuutus — act of authorizing
  • Finnish: valtuuttaminen — act of authorizing
  • Finnish: oikeuttaminen — act of authorizing
  • Finnish: oikeutus — act of authorizing
  • Finnish: auktorisointi — act of authorizing
  • French: autorisation — act of authorizing
  • Georgian: ნებართვა (nebartva) — act of authorizing
  • Georgian: ავტორიზაცია (avṭorizacia) — act of authorizing
  • German: Ermächtigung — act of authorizing
  • Greek: εξουσιοδότηση (exousiodótisi) — act of authorizing
  • Hebrew: הַסְמָכָה (hasmakha) — act of authorizing
  • Hindi: अनुज्ञा (anujñā) — act of authorizing
  • Hungarian: felhatalmazás — act of authorizing
  • Japanese: 許可 (kyoka) — act of authorizing
  • Japanese: 認可 (ninka) — act of authorizing
  • Kazakh: авторландыру (avtorlandyru) — act of authorizing
  • Khmer: អនុញ្ញាត (ʼaʼnuññaat) — act of authorizing
  • Korean: 허가 (heoga) — act of authorizing
  • Korean: 인가 (in'ga) — act of authorizing
  • Māori: whakamanatanga — act of authorizing
  • Norwegian Bokmål: autorisasjon — act of authorizing
  • Polish: upoważnienie — act of authorizing
  • Polish: autoryzacja — act of authorizing
  • Portuguese: autorização — act of authorizing
  • Romanian: autorizare — act of authorizing
  • Russian: разреше́ние (razrešénije) — act of authorizing
  • Russian: авториза́ция (avtorizácija) — act of authorizing
  • Russian: уполномо́чивание (upolnomóčivanije) — act of authorizing
  • Serbo-Croatian: ауториза́ција — act of authorizing
  • Serbo-Croatian: autorizácija — act of authorizing
  • Spanish: autorización — act of authorizing
  • Turkish: izin — act of authorizing
  • Turkish: otorizasyon — act of authorizing
  • Ottoman Turkish: اذن (izn, izin) — act of authorizing
  • Ottoman Turkish: اجازت (icazet) — act of authorizing
  • Ottoman Turkish: رخصت (ruhsat) — act of authorizing
  • Ottoman Turkish: دستور (düstur) — act of authorizing
  • Ottoman Turkish: مساعده (müsâʼade) — act of authorizing
  • Ukrainian: до́звіл (dózvil) — act of authorizing
  • Ukrainian: дозволя́ння (dozvoljánnja) — act of authorizing
  • Ukrainian: авториза́ція (avtoryzácija) — act of authorizing
  • Ukrainian: уповнова́жування (upovnovážuvannja) — act of authorizing
  • Yiddish: אויטאָריזירונג (oytorizirung) — act of authorizing
  • Albanian: autorizim — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Bulgarian: са́нкция (sánkcija) — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Bulgarian: одобре́ние (odobrénie) — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Catalan: autorització — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Chinese Mandarin: 授權 /授权 (shòuquán) — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Czech: povolení — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Danish: autorisation — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Dutch: machtiging — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Dutch: volmacht — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Estonian: volitus — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Finnish: lupa — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Greek: εξουσιοδότηση (exousiodótisi) — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Hindi: अधिकृत (adhikŕt) — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Hungarian: meghatalmazás — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Italian: autorizzazione — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Polish: upoważnienie — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Polish: umocowanie — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Polish: zezwolenie — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Portuguese: autorização — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Romanian: autorizație — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Russian: са́нкция (sánkcija) — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Russian: полномо́чие (polnomóčije) — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Russian: о́рдер (órder) — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Russian: одобре́ние (odobrénije) — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Serbo-Croatian: ауториза́ција — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Serbo-Croatian: autorizácija — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Spanish: autorización — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Ottoman Turkish: اذن (izn) — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
  • Ukrainian: уповнова́ження (upovnovážennja) — state of being authorized to do something or to be somewhere
Real reading context

authorization in complete knowledge articles