authorize
Definitions
To give official permission or power for something to happen
授权；批准
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedauctor (originator) + -ize ('to make / cause'). To authorize is to give someone authority — to lend an action the weight of a legitimate source. When you authorize a payment, you back it with your standing as the one entitled to approve it.
Root author still carries 6 more wordsUsage Guide
Spelling: authorize (AmE) vs authorise (BrE); both are standard. Common pattern: authorize someone to do something. Often passive in formal/legal text: 'is authorized to,' 'duly authorized.' Note the past participle 'authorized' and its negative 'unauthorized' (unauthorized access).
Example Sentences
- 1.
Only the board can authorize spending above this limit.
- 2.
The manager authorized a full refund for the damaged goods.
- 3.
She is not authorized to sign contracts on the company's behalf.