Reverse Dictionary: AUTHORITY

ADJECTIVES
► DISAUTHENTIC not authoritative; not entitled to respect → 1591 obs.
► DRUMMED OUT OF THE GESTAPO FOR CRUELTY unduly authoritarian, esp. when applied to a senior police officer → 1999 UK sl.
► EXOUSIASTIC authoritative, pert. to authority → 1688 obs.
► EYELESS having no fear of authority; lacking reverence or respect for authority → 1175 obs.
► LORDING powerful, dominating, having presiding authority or influence; also, behaving in an arrogant, disdainful, or dissipated manner → 1548 
► MAGISTERIAL assuming authority; dictatorial; pert. to one qualified to speak with authority → 1632 
► MAGISTERIOUS exercising the authority of a master → 1647 obs.
► MAGISTRAL authoritative, dogmatic; pert. to or befitting a master → 1605 
► MASTERLIKE authoritative, magisterial; resembling a master; despotic, autocratic; exhibiting masterly ability or skill → 1580 obs.
► MISSISSING authoritative, assuming, domineering → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► MISSUSY authoritative, assuming, domineering → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► PLENIPOTENT possessing full authority or power → 1658 
► PRESIDENT that presides or has authority; presiding, in charge → 1450 obs.
► PUISSANT having great authority or influence; mighty, potent, powerful, strong, forcible → 1450 arch.
► SUGETABLE subject to authority → 1382 obs.
► SWINGEING powerful, authoritative → 1567 obs.

NOUNS
► AUTORITY authority → 1898 Eng. dial. obs. (Bk.)
► BANDON authority, jurisdiction, dominion, control; power of disposal, full discretion, or authority to deal with → 1230 obs.
► CARTE BLANCHE unconditional authority; full power → 1981 Aust. colloq. (Bk.)
► CHICKEN an excessive show of authority; unnecessary discipline or regimentation, in either military or civilian life → 1940 US sl., orig. military usage
► EYELESSNESS lack of fear or respect for authority → 1000 obs.
► EYELEST lack of fear or respect for authority → 1275 obs.
► FAY authority, credit → 1374 obs.
► IMPERATIVENESS authoritativeness; commanding quality → 1840 
► JACKBOOT authoritarian, arbitrary, and cruel rule or behaviour → 1768 
► MAGISTERIALITY authoritative position; mastership → 1655 obs.
► MAGISTERIALNESS assumption of authority; the quality of being magisterial → 1651 obs.
► MAGISTERIOUSNESS assumption of authority → 1650 obs.
► MAGISTERY authority → 1765 US
► MAGISTRALITY authoritative character; the right to lay down the law or to dogmatize → 1603 obs.
► ONWALD authority, power, rule → 893 obs.
► PRESIDENCE a presiding; control, authority → 1500 
► PRESIDENCY a presiding; control, authority → 1581 
► SAY authority, influence, voice → 1835 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► SAY-SO 1. an authoritative statement → 1637 
2. final authority; directing influence → 1857 
► SWINGE sway, power, rule, authority, influence → 1531 obs. exc. Eng. dial.

NOUNS – PERSON
► BALEBOSS a person in authority; the head of the house; a store owner; a manager → 1998 Yiddish (Bk.)
► BEAST-MAN a police officer or prison officer; any figure of authority → 1990 UK teen sl.
► BIG BOPPER, THE a person holding paramount authority → 1966 US sl.
► BIG MAN an important or influential man; one who is in authority → 1885 US colloq.
► BIG STICK a person of authority, as a police officer or foreman; a marshal → 1966 Amer. dial.
► BOSS-MAN a person in authority; an employer; a supervisor → 1908 Amer. dial.
► CHEESE an unworthy person in a position of authority → 20C Amer. sl.
► GAFFER a person in authority; a foreman; an overseer; head man → 1841 
► GEEZER an authority figure → 1975 sl.
► HAMMER a man who exercises authority over others → 1989 US sl.
► HAMMER-MAN a man who exercises authority over others; an authoritarian figure → 1929 African-American sl.
► HEAD a person in authority → 1916 Aust. sl.
► HEAD BOTTLE WASHER a person in authority; a foreman → 1915 sl.
► HEAD BUCK-CAT a person in authority → 1968 Irish sl.
► HEAD BUMMAROO the person in authority; the chief; the most important person present; the manager → 1984 UK sl.
► HEAD BUMMER the person in authority; the chief, the boss → 1919 sl.
► HEAD GIRL a girl occupying a position of authority or seniority → 1941 
► HEADKICKER a person in authority who is aggressive → 1999 Aust. sl. (Bk.)
► HEAD KNOCK a person having primary authority; a boss, a foreman, etc. → 1944 African-American sl.
► HEAD KNOCKER a person having primary authority; a boss, a foreman, etc. → 1886 US sl.
► HEAD LAR the man in authority → 1998 Yiddish (Bk.)
► HEAD NEGRO a sarcastic reference to any Black authority figure → 1992 African-American sl.
► HEAD NEGRO IN CHARGE a sarcastic reference to any Black authority figure → 2002 African-American sl.
► HEAD NIGGER IN CHARGE ► H.N.I.C. a Black person in a position of authority; the leader of an enterprise → 1973 African-American
► HEAD PUSH the person in authority → 1913 US sl.
► HEADS, THE those in authority → 1916 Aust. sl.
► HEAD SERAG a person in authority; the master or overseer → 1865 sl. (Bk.)
► HEAD SERANG ► HEAD SHERANG a person in authority; the boss or person in charge → 1918 Aust. sl.
► HEAD SHEBANG the person in authority, the boss → 1988 Aust. sl. (Bk.)
► HELL MASTER a person who overly authoritative or bossy → 1989 US student’s usage
► HER GILLS an authority; a self-important person; ‘her nibs’ → 1911 sl., chiefly Aust.
► HER INDOORS a woman occupying a position of authority who is regarded as domineering → 1979 Brit. colloq.
► HIGHER-UP a person in authority; one of the persons in charge; a member of the upper echelon → 1916 US sl.
► HIGH JINKS a person of real or imagined authority; a self-important person → 1969 Amer. dial.
► HIGH MAN ON THE TOTEM POLE a person of authority and importance → 1980 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► HIGH MOGUL a person of real or imagined authority; a self-important person → 1906 Amer. dial.
► HIGH MUCK a person of real or imagined authority; a self-important person → 1856 Amer. dial.
► HIGH MUCKY-MUCK a person of real or imagined authority; a self-important person → 1856 Amer. dial.
► HIGH-UP a person in authority; a high-ranking, influential, or important person; the boss → 1882 colloq.
► HIS GILLS ► HIS JILLS an authority, a self-important person; ‘his nibs’ → 1889 sl., chiefly Aust.
► HIS NIBS a person in authority → 1812 sl.
► HO-DAD ► HO-DADDY a person who claims knowledge and authority he or she does not possess → 1960 US surfers’ usage
► INDUNA a person, esp. a Black person, in authority; a foreman → M20 S. Afr.
► JOKER a person who is given authority but performs their work with irritating incompetence, thus a ‘disgrace to one’s profession’ → 20C W. Indies
► KILLJOY an authority figure → 1920 African-American sl.
► KING BEE a man in a position of authority or dominance → 1875 Amer. dial.
► MACGREGOR, THE the person in authority; the leading man; the chief personage → 1929 Sc.
► MACNAB, THE the person in authority; the chief personage → 1840 Sc.
► MAIN GUY, THE a man in a position of authority, importance, or prominence; the boss; the leader → 1882 Amer. sl.
► MAIN KAZOO a man in a position of authority or importance → 1903 Amer. sl.
► MAN a person in authority, such as the skipper of a boat, or a male school teacher → 1895 Sc.
► MAN, THE the person in authority → 1918 US sl.
► NEARDY a person in authority; a master; a parent; a foreman → 1902 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► OLD BOY any oldish person in authority, as one’s father, a headmaster, etc. → 19C colloq.
► PEA, THE the person in authority; the boss → 1969 Aust. sl.
► PLENIPOTENT a person possessing full power or authority → 1818 
► PUNDIT an authority, learned person, or expert → 1661 
► QUEEN BEE a person in a position of authority or dominance; a domineering woman or wife → 1930 Amer. dial.
► REAL BARNBURNER an expert; an authority who makes an extremely strong case → 1971 US students’ sl. (Bk.)
► SILK an authority figure → 1980 US sl.
► TALE’S-MAN the authority for a statement; a person who brings news or originates a statement → 1768 Sc.
► TALE’S-MASTER the authority for a statement; a person who brings news or originates a statement → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► UNDERLING a person subject to authority; a subordinate → 1175 
► VIKING CHEAT an authority; a member of the Establishment; hence, an oppressor → 1990 W. Indies sl.
► WARDEN an authority figure; a parent → 1968 US teen usage

PHRASES
► YOU’RE THE DOCTOR I defer to your authority → 1920 

VERBS
► BOSS AROUND to direct or control someone in an offensively authoritarian way → 1850 Amer. sl.
► CRACK THE WHIP to assert authority suddenly or forcibly → 20C 
► FACULTATE to invest with authority; to empower; to authorize → 1648 
► HAVE THE TAPE to have authority → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► SHOW ONE’S MAN to use one’s authority; to domineer → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► TAKE to assume authority or importance → 1470 obs.
► WEAR THE BREECHES to have the real authority; usually said of a woman or wife → 1666 
► WEAR THE BRITCHES to have the real authority; usually said of a woman or wife → 1909 Amer. dial.
► WIELD THE SCEPTRE to exercise supreme authority, to rule → 1567 
► WRITE THE BOOK to be very authoritative or seasoned; to be an expert → 1980 Amer. sl.