authoritative
adjective
au·thor·i·ta·tive
ə-ˈthȯr-ə-ˌtā-tiv 
ȯ-,
-ˈthär-
1
: having, marked by, or proceeding from authority
authoritative church doctrines
an authoritative decision
an authoritative manner
2
: possessing recognized or evident authority : clearly accurate or knowledgeable
an authoritative critique
an authoritative source of information
authoritatively
adverb
authoritativeness
noun
Examples of authoritative in a Sentence
The book is an authoritative guide to the city's restaurants.
His manner is polite but authoritative.
She addressed the group with an authoritative voice.
Recent Examples on the Web
In this authoritative, elegant biography, Daut meticulously combs the torrents of contemporary letters and broadsheets to draw a complex, contradictory portrait of Christophe, also known as King Henry.
—
Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
The distant therapist Not too long ago, therapists acted like black boxes and authoritative gods.
—David E. Tolchinsky, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2025
Psychologically, our pull toward dominant, authoritative figures taps into something primal.
—Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Key among them is Hewitt, who oversees the authoritative website dedicated to the Cline catalogue.
—Nancy Kruh, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for authoritative
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
The distant therapist Not too long ago, therapists acted like black boxes and authoritative gods.
—David E. Tolchinsky, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2025
Psychologically, our pull toward dominant, authoritative figures taps into something primal.
—Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Key among them is Hewitt, who oversees the authoritative website dedicated to the Cline catalogue.
—Nancy Kruh, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for authoritative
Cite this Entry
“Authoritative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritative. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
authoritative
adjective
au·thor·i·ta·tive
ə-ˈthär-ə-ˌtāt-iv
ȯ-,
-ˈthȯr-
: having or coming from authority
authoritatively
adverb
authoritativeness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share