Authorised

How to spell authorised

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce authorised

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does authorised mean?

1. verbGave official permission or approval for something, or granted someone the power to act.

Authorised in a sentence

• The manager authorised the refund after reviewing the receipt.

• Only the finance director is authorised to approve payments above that limit.

Where does authorised come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The base verb comes from the noun 'author', which English took in the 1300s from Old French 'autor' and ultimately from Latin 'auctor', meaning an originator, founder, or person with authority, itself from 'augere', 'to increase' or 'to cause to grow'. From the noun grew the sense of investing someone with the power that an author or authority holds, giving the verb 'authorise', meaning to grant official permission. The verb is recorded in English from the late 1300s, often spelled with the French-derived '-ise' ending that British usage still favours. The intrusive 'h' in 'author' is a learned later addition, modelled on Greek spellings, even though the word never truly belonged to Greek; that silent 'h' is the spot that trips writers. In British and Commonwealth practice the '-ise' form sits alongside the '-ize' form preferred in North America, so the same act of granting permission is written 'authorised' here and 'authorized' there.

How the word is built

• author (one who originates or has power over)
• -ise (verb-forming suffix, to make or give)
• -d (past tense/participle)

British and American spelling

Authorised is the British spelling. American English spells it authorized.