AUTHORITATIVE Synonyms: 110 Similar and Opposite Words

authoritative

adjective

ə-ˈthȯr-ə-ˌtā-tiv

Definition of authoritative

as in definitive

being the most accurate and apparently thorough this book is considered the most authoritative source on that subject

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in influential

having power over the minds or behavior of others after a couple of authoritative critics panned the movie, the other reviewers rushed to say how awful it was

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in authoritarian

fond of ordering people around she's very authoritative for someone who doesn't actually outrank us

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of authoritative The pubescent croak of Roman Candle is gone, the chesty metal voice of Dead Air replaced by something soft and assured, authoritative. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 This movement is composed of various factions, as Laura Field has distilled in her authoritative work Furious Minds. — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026 Ladapo has been less authoritative about encouraging vaccines as safe. — Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026 Users implicitly will take what an AI tells them to be authoritative. — David Berreby, IEEE Spectrum, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for authoritative

Recent Examples of Synonyms for authoritative

Adjective

Graf also reiterated that his ruling was not a definitive finding of guilt, which will have to be determined by a jury during a future trial.

— Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2026
Roman could also provide the first definitive proof of exomoons, or moons orbiting exoplanets.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of definitive

Adjective

The text profiles the cooking of such influential figures as the Catalan chef Ferran Adrià and the Basque Country’s Juan Mari Arzak and provides recipes for centuries-old dishes from Madrid.

— Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
Woods, who is among the most influential figures in golf, has been involved in several road incidents in recent years.

— Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of influential

Adjective

Castro’s death could also spark the sort of power struggles among factions that usually follow the death of an authoritarian leader.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
By eroding the feedback loop that every stable government—even the most authoritarian—needs to stay in power, the Putin regime is becoming less capable of understanding the real condition of Russia.

— Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of authoritarian

Adjective

Fame was of prime importance to the ancient Greeks, and Wilson is the rare classical scholar who has firsthand knowledge of a public life.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
The shoe reimagines Repetto’s Bolchoï model, a ballerina silhouette drawing inspiration from the classical ballet pointe shoe.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of classical

Adjective

Will stars in the film as Phil Weston, an unremarkable family man who grew up under the thumb of his domineering dad, Buck (Robert Duvall).

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
That’s a little too farcical for the moment, and the final cut lands more in a place of domineering intrigue.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026

Definition of domineering

Adjective

The more accurate framing is that many of these fees are supplier-imposed and disclosed in booking terms that travelers frequently do not read in full.

— Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Maher noted that many of those candidates were heavy favorites to win but agreed that his statement was not accurate.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of accurate

Adjective

Each of these decisions laid the groundwork for the war on Iran today, one that started without a clear strategy on the arrogant expectation of a quick victory.

— Alexander Langlois, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
The data center industry is only one face of an arrogant oligarchy that people believe now runs Congress, the courts, the White House, state legislatures and local governments.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of arrogant

Adjective

In its comprehensive plan, the city of Eagle identifies the BLM land Bobo is cleaning up as a major component of the Foothills, calling for public lands to be incorporated into a larger open-space and wildlife-corridor network.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 2 Sep. 2026
MacGregor has signed contracts with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard to supply comprehensive roll-on/roll-off equipment for the two vessels, marking one of its most extensive scopes for roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries to date.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026