释义 |
authority n. 1. Power delegated to a person or body to act in a particular way. The person in whom authority is vested is usually called an agent and the person conferring the authority is the principal. 2. A governing body, such as a local authority, charged with power and duty to perform certain functions. 3. A judicial decision or other source of law used as a ground for a legal proposition. See also persuasive authority. |