Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Authorize

Au′thor-ize

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Authorized
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Authorizing
.]
[OE.
autorize
, F.
autoriser
, fr. LL.
auctorizare
,
authorisare
. See
Author
.]
1.
To clothe with authority, warrant, or legal power; to give a right to act; to empower;
as, to
authorize
commissioners to settle a boundary
.
2.
To make legal; to give legal sanction to; to legalize;
as, to
authorize
a marriage
.
3.
To establish by authority, as by usage or public opinion; to sanction;
as, idioms
authorized
by usage
.
4.
To sanction or confirm by the authority of some one; to warrant;
as, to
authorize
a report
.
A woman’s story at a winter's fire,
Authorized
by her grandam.
Shakespeare
5.
To justify; to furnish a ground for.
Locke.
To authorize one's self
,
to rely for authority.
[Obs.]

Authorizing himself
, for the most part, upon other histories.
Sir P. Sidney.

Webster 1828 Edition


Authorize

AU'THORIZE

, v.t.
1.
To give authority, warrant or legal power to; to give a right to act; to empower; as, to authorize commissioners to settle the boundary of the state.
2.
To make legal; as, to authorize a marriage.
3.
To establish by authority, as by usage, or public opinion; as an authorized idiom of language.
4.
To give authority, credit or reputation to; as to authorize a report, or opinion.
5.
To justify; to support as right. Suppress desires which reason does not authorize.

Definition 2024


authorize

authorize

English

Alternative forms

Verb

authorize (third-person singular simple present authorizes, present participle authorizing, simple past and past participle authorized)

  1. (transitive) To grant (someone) the permission or power necessary to do (something).
    The General Assembly authorized the Council to take up the matter.
  2. (transitive) To permit (something), to sanction or consent to (something).
    The judge authorized the wiretapping.

Derived terms

Translations