authorize. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

authorize

SYLLABICATION:	au·thor·ize
PRONUNCIATION:	ôth-rz
TRANSITIVE VERB:	Inflected forms: au·thor·ized, au·thor·iz·ing, au·thor·iz·es 1. To grant authority or power to. 2. To give permission for; sanction: the city agency that authorizes construction projects. 3. To be sufficient grounds for; justify.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English auctorisen, from Old French autoriser, from Medieval Latin auctrizre, from Latin auctor, author. See author.
OTHER FORMS:	author·izer —NOUN
SYNONYMS:	authorize, accredit, commission, empower, license These verbs mean to give someone the authority to act: authorized her partner to negotiate on her behalf; a representative who was accredited by his government; commissioned the real-estate agent to purchase the house; was empowered to make decisions during the president's absence; a pharmacist licensed to practice in two states.


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.