Meaning

noun the power or right to give orders or make decisions

noun (usually plural) persons who exercise (administrative) control over others

noun an expert whose views are taken as definitive

originEtymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewg-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₂owg-éye-ti Proto-Italic *augejō Proto-Italic *augeō Latin augeō Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Latin auctor Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts Proto-Italic *-tāts Latin -tās Latin auctōritāsbor. Old French autoritébor. Middle English auctorite English…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0