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Definition of "authoritative" []

  • Having or arising from authority; official: an authoritative decree; authoritative sources. (adjective)
  • Of acknowledged accuracy or excellence; highly reliable: an authoritative account of the revolution. (adjective)
  • Wielding authority; commanding: the captain's authoritative manner. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "authoritative" in a sentence
  • "The state-run Xinhua News Agency said Thursday that foreign media reports that Mr. Jiang has died are "pure rumor," citing what it called "authoritative sources.""
  • "The report compared the names of people on the tickets to what it called authoritative lists of Hispanic names developed by the U.S. Census and other researchers."
  • "The ideal parents ` style is what we call the authoritative parenting style which has a balance between correction and loving nurture and spanking can be an effective tool within that style of parenting."