Authority
Authority is the right to exercise power, which can be formalized by a state and exercised by way of judges, appointed executives of government, or the ecclesiastical or priestly appointed representatives of a God or other deities. Authority, in the sense of “authorization”, can also mean the right to complete an action or execute an order.
In government, authority is often used interchangeably with power. However, their meanings differ: while power is the ability to order or accomplish a goal or to influence others, authority refers to a claim of legitimacy, the justification and right to exercise that power. For example, while a mob may have the power to punish a criminal by beating or lynching, the rule of law indicates that only a court of law has the authority to determine and refer a criminal for punishment. In this sense, authority is a matter of not only the ability or power to make decisions, but the right to make these decisions and execute them with commensurate power. Appropriate authority is the basis of good government in the republican conception of government, which finds much of its theoretical origins in ancient Rome.
Power (noun)
Ability to coerce, influence or control.
Power (noun)
Ability to affect or influence.
Power (noun)
Control or coercion, particularly legal or political (jurisdiction).
Power (noun)
The people in charge of legal or political power, the government.
Power (noun)
Effectiveness.
Power (noun)
An influential nation, company, or other such body.
Power (noun)
Physical force or strength.
“He needed a lot of power to hit the ball out of the stadium.”
Power (noun)
Electricity or a supply of electricity.
“After the pylons collapsed, this town was without power for a few days.”
Power (noun)
A measure of the rate of doing work or transferring energy.
Power (noun)
Any of the elementary forms or parts of machines: three primary (the lever, inclined plane, and pulley) and three secondary (the wheel-and-axle, wedge, and screw).
“the mechanical powers”
Power (noun)
In Christian angelology, an intermediate level of angels, ranked above archangels, but exact position varies by classification scheme.
Power (verb)
To provide power for (a mechanical or electronic device).
“This CD player is powered by batteries.”
Power (verb)
To hit or kick something forcefully.
Power (verb)
To enable or provide the impetus for.
Power (adjective)
Impressive.
Authority (noun)
The power to enforce rules or give orders.
“I have the authority to penalise the staff in my department, but not the authority to sack them.”
“She lost all her respect and authority after turning up drunk to the meeting.”
“Respect my authority!”
Authority (noun)
Persons in command; specifically, government.
Authority (noun)
A person accepted as a source of reliable information on a subject.
“the world’s foremost authority on orangutans”
Authority (noun)
Government-owned agency which runs a revenue-generating activity.
“New York Port Authority”
Power (noun)
the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way
“his powers of concentration”
“the power of speech”
“I will do everything in my power to help you”
Power (noun)
the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events
“she had me in her power”
“a political process that offers people power over their own lives”
Power (noun)
political or social authority or control, especially that exercised by a government
“the party had been in power for eight years”
Power (noun)
authority that is given or delegated to a person or body
“police do not have the power to stop and search”
Power (noun)
the military strength of a state
“the sea power of Venice”
Power (noun)
a state or country, especially one viewed in terms of its international influence and military strength
“a great colonial power”
Power (noun)
a person or organization that is strong or influential within a particular context
“he was a power in the university”
Power (noun)
a supernatural being, deity, or force
“the powers of darkness”
Power (noun)
(in traditional Christian angelology) the sixth-highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy.
Power (noun)
denoting something associated with people who hold authority and influence, especially in the context of business or politics
“a red power tie”
Power (noun)
used in the names of movements aiming to enhance the status of a specified group
“gay power”
Power (noun)
physical strength and force exerted by something or someone
“the lyrical power of his prose”
“the power of the storm”
Power (noun)
capacity or performance of an engine or other device
“a surge of power from the engine”
Power (noun)
denoting a sports player, team, or style of play that makes use of power rather than finesse
“a power pitcher”
Power (noun)
the magnifying capacity of a lens.
Power (noun)
energy that is produced by mechanical, electrical, or other means and used to operate a device
“generating power from waste”
“power cables”
Power (noun)
electrical energy supplied to an area, building, etc.
“30,000 homes were left without power”
Power (noun)
driven by electrical energy
“a power drill”
Power (noun)
the rate of doing work, measured in watts or less frequently horse power.
Power (noun)
the product obtained when a number is multiplied by itself a certain number of times
“2 to the power of 4 equals 16”
Power (noun)
a large number or amount of something
“there’s a power of difference between farming now and when I was a lad”
Power (verb)
supply (a device) with mechanical or electrical energy
“a nuclear-powered submarine”
“the car is powered by a fuel-injected 3.0-litre engine”
Power (verb)
switch a device on or off
“the officer powered up the fighter’s radar”
Power (verb)
move or travel with great speed or force
“he powered round a bend”
Power (verb)
direct (something, especially a ball) with great force
“Nicholas powered a header into the net”