What is authority?

Authority

Authority (from the Latin auctoritas) is a right conferred by recognized social position. Authority often refers to power vested in an individual or organization by the state. Authority can also refer to recognized expertise in an area of academic knowledge. An Authority (capitalized) refers to a governing body upon which certain authority (with lower case a) is vested.

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Famous quotes containing the word authority:

    “The faith that stands on authority is not faith.”
    —Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    “Destiny. A tyrant’s authority for crime and a fool’s excuse for failure.”
    —Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914)

    “Authority poisons everybody who takes authority on himself.”
    —Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870–1924)