Oxford Basic American Dictionary

Who is your favorite author?

au • thor • i • tar • i •an / seorsterisn /

adjective

not allowing people the freedom to decide things for themselves

an authoritarian government authoritarian parents

au • thor • i • ta • tive AWB / s ' eorsteitiv /

adjective

having authority; demanding or expecting that people obey you

an authoritative tone of voice

that you can trust as true and correct the most authoritative book on the subject

au • thor • i • ty Ф AWL / s ' eorsti / noun

( plural au . thor i ties )

[ noncount ] the power to tell people what they must do The police have the authority to stop cars.

[ count ] ( politics ) a group of people that tell other people what they must do

the city authorities

[ count ] a person with special knowledge She's an authority on criminal law.

—SYNONYM expert

au • thor • ize / ' oearaiz / verb ( au . thor . i . zes , au . thor . i . zing , au . thor . ized )

to give official permission for something, or for someone to do something

He authorized his assistant to sign letters for him. ►au • thor • i • za • tion / |Oeara ' zeijn / noun

[noncount]

No one is allowed in this area without authorization. au • to / ' otou / noun [ count ] ( plural au . tos ) ( formal )

a car

auto insurance

au • to • bi • og • ra • phy / otabai ' agrafi /

noun [ count ] ( plural au . to . bi og ra . phies ) ( english language arts ) a book that a person has written about their life

au • to • graph / ' otagrref / noun [ count ]

a famous person's name, which they themselves have written

He asked Madonna for her autograph.

au • to • mat • ed AWB / ' otameitad / adjective

operated by machine, without needing people The factory has a fully automated system.

au • to • mat • ic AWB / pt3'mretik / adjective

If a machine is automatic , it can work by itself, without people controlling it

automatic doors

that you do without thinking Breathing is automatic.

►au • to • mat • i • cal • lyAWB / ota'mretikli / adverb This light comes on automatically at Jive o'clock. I automatically turned right, because that's the way I usually go.

au • to • mo • bile / |otama 'bil / noun [ count ]

a car

the automobile industry

au • top • sy / ' o|tapsi / noun [ count ] ( plural au . top . sies )

( health ) an examination of a dead body to find out the cause of death to perform an autopsy

au • tumn / ' otam/ noun [ count, noncount ] ( formal )

the part of the year between summer and winter In autumn, the leaves begin to fall from the trees.

—SYNONYM fall

a • vail • a • ble Ф AWL / a ' veilabl / adjective

ready for you to use, have, or see

I called the hotel to ask if there were any rooms available. I'm sorry — the manager is not available this afternoon.

av • a • lanche / ' revalrentj / [ count ]

( geography ) a very large amount of snow that falls quickly down the side of a mountain

av • e • nue / ' revanu / noun

[count ]

a street in a town or city I live on McClean Avenue.

The short way of writing "Avenue" in addresses is Ave. 109 Fifth Ave.

Thesaurus