tr.v., -ized, -iz·ing, -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.

[Middle English auctorisen, from Old French autoriser, from Medieval Latin auctōrizāre, from Latin auctor, author. See author.]

authorizer au'thor·iz'er n.

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.

verb

1. To give authority to: accredit, commission, empower, enable, entitle, license, qualify. See allow/prevent.
2. To give one's consent to: allow, approbate, approve, consent, endorse, let, permit, sanction. Informal OK. See allow/prevent.

v

Definition: permit, allow, give power or control
Antonyms: deny, disallow, reject

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This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

To empower another with the legal right to perform an action.

The Constitution authorizes Congress to regulate interstate commerce.

IN BRIEF: To give permission.

The commission had to authorize the building project.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - godkende, bemyndige, give fuldmagt

Nederlands (Dutch)
officieel goedkeuren, volmacht/ bevoegdheid verlenen, machtigen, opdragen

Français (French)
v. tr. - autoriser, approuver, mandater

Deutsch (German)
v. - genehmigen, zustimmen, ermächtigen, Vollmacht erteilen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - (νομ.) εξουσιοδοτώ, (μτφ.) εγκρίνω, επισημοποιώ

Italiano (Italian)
autorizzare, approvare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - autorizar, permitir

Русский (Russian)
разрешать, санкционировать, уполномочивать

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - aprobar, autorizar, apoderar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - auktorisera, ge fullmakt, godkänna

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
授权给, 全权委托, 允许, 认可, 批准

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 授權給, 全權委託, 允許, 認可, 批准

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 정당하다고 인정하다, 허가하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 権限を与える, 正式に認可する, 正当と認める

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يفوض, يوكل, يرخص, يقر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮הסמיך, אישר‬

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