authority
Definitions
noun
Power or right to make or enforce rules, give orders, or impose obligation; or a position having such power or right.
I have the authority to penalise the staff in my department, but not the authority to sack them.
Vigilantes may have the power to nab criminals, but they lack the authority.
A reliable, definitive source of information on a subject.
the world's foremost authority on orangutans
My cheap dictionary is not the authority on word derivations.
Status as a trustworthy source of information, reputation for mastery or expertise; or claim to such status or reputation.
Due to being inadequate for the deductive method of reasoning, the argument from authority is considered a logical fallacy.
Official permission; authorisation to act in some capacity on behalf of a ruling entity.
Authority to construct eight carriages, to test the new design in public service, had already been given; but of course complete working drawings had first to be prepared.
A government-owned agency that runs a revenue-generating activity for public benefit.
New York Port Authority
Chicago Transit Authority