authorize
verb
au·tho·rize
ˈȯ-thə-ˌrīz 
authorized; authorizing; authorizes
1
: to endorse, empower, justify, or permit by or as if by some recognized or proper authority (such as custom, evidence, personal right, or regulating power)
a custom authorized by time
2
: to invest especially with legal authority : empower
He is authorized to act for his father.
3
archaic
: justify sense 1a
authorizer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of authorize in a Sentence
The city council authorized the sale of the land.
Who authorized the transfer of the funds?
Recent Examples on the Web
The head of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, Ronen Bar, visited Egypt for the second time in less than a week and met with Egyptian officials on Sunday, according to an Egyptian official who was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity.
—
Sarah El Deeb and Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
The Affordable Care Act already requires most private insurance plans to cover birth control without cost to the patient, but birth control without a prescription had not been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration when the Obama-era ACA became law in 2010.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
But relief also comes from a patchwork of agencies, like the Small Business Administration and HUD's Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) money — a program that's never been permanently authorized.
—Nick Sobczyk, Axios, 17 Oct. 2024
The governor has commuted just one death sentence since taking office more than nine years ago, and in that time authorized 73 executions, more than any state in the country.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for authorize 
Sarah El Deeb and Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
The Affordable Care Act already requires most private insurance plans to cover birth control without cost to the patient, but birth control without a prescription had not been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration when the Obama-era ACA became law in 2010.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
But relief also comes from a patchwork of agencies, like the Small Business Administration and HUD's Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) money — a program that's never been permanently authorized.
—Nick Sobczyk, Axios, 17 Oct. 2024
The governor has commuted just one death sentence since taking office more than nine years ago, and in that time authorized 73 executions, more than any state in the country.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for authorize
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'authorize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near authorize
Cite this Entry
“Authorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authorize. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
authorize
verb
au·tho·rize
ˈȯ-thə-ˌrīz
authorized; authorizing
1
: to give authority to
2
: to give legal or official approval to
authorization
noun
ˌȯ-th(ə-)rə-ˈzā-shən
authorizer
noun
ˈȯ-thə-ˌrī-zər
Legal Definition
authorize
transitive verb
au·tho·rize
ˈȯ-thə-ˌrīz
authorized; authorizing
1
: to give permission to
2
: to give authority to act to
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