Word
authorize
Meanings
to give official permission for something to happen
to give someone the power or right to do something
to officially approve or allow the use of money, resources, or actions within an organization
Definition
To authorize something is to give official permission or legal power for it to happen.
To authorize means to formally allow something or to give someone the power to act. It is often used in workplace, government, or system contexts where approval must be recorded. If you are authorized, you have permission to do a specific action, such as access a place or approve a change.
Examples
- I can’t authorize the change until the client signs off on the revised scope.
- You must authorize access through the portal before the contractor can enter the system.
- She refused to authorize the shipment because the quality checks were incomplete.
- They authorized additional staff for the event to prevent delays at the entrance.
- The director will authorize the proposal once the compliance team finishes its review.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse "authorize" (give official permission) with "authorise/authorize" meaning "to write"—the writing verb is "author."
More at C1 level
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More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.