Synonyms for authorize

Most common

approve · permit · allow · sanction

All synonyms

Verb

Antonyms

prohibit, ban, veto

All antonyms of authorize →

Definitions

1. v. 1

   To grant (someone) the permission or power necessary to do (something); to permit; to sanction or consent to.

   The judge authorized the wiretapping.

Related words

Other spellings

authorise UK

Forms

Past participle

authorized
e.g. authorized → approved, permitted, allowed, sanctioned…

Example sentences

• allow He didn't allow me to pay the bill for the dinner.
• permit My father would not permit me to go on to college.
• approve I approve of everything that you did, except this.
• sanction They will not sanction copying without permission.
• commission Rachel's going to be out of commission for a while.
• enable This bird's large wings enable it to fly very fast.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters

pass¹

5 letters

clear¹, allow²

6 letters

enable³, permit², depute

7 letters

license², confirm², warrant², approve², justify³, licence², empower³

8 letters

sanction², legalize³, legalise, accredit³

10 letters

commission³

11 letters

countenance³

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (allow² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français

autoriser

Italiano

autorizzare

Español

autorizar

Deutsch

absegnen

Català

autoritzar