authorities

noun

The bodies that enforce law and order or provide a public service.

The bodies that have political or administrative power and control in a particular sphere.

Roots

auctorauthor- · Latin · originator, author

Synonyms for authorities

officialdomn ministryn directoraten

Synonyms & related words for authorities

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of authorities — including officialdom, ministry, directorate. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to authorities

Explore words related to authorities — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include government, officials, police, agencies, progovernment, duarchy, constabulary, governmental. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for authorities

Common synonyms for authorities include officialdom, ministry, directorate — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does authorities come from?

The word authorities breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root author-, from Latin auctor (“originator, author”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.