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to give or official power to; empower:
to authorize an employee to sign purchase orders.
to give for; formally sanction (an act or proceeding):
Congress authorized the new tax on tobacco.
to establish by or usage:
an arrangement long authorized by etiquette books.
to afford a ground for; warrant; justify.
Contemporary Examples

I did not authorise, nor was I aware of, phone hacking under my editorship.
Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson, and Fleet Street’s Elite Charged Peter Jukes July 23, 2012

Historical Examples

To authorise the Prince to accept the government of another State.
Bulgaria Frank Fox

Do you authorise me to speak—a little—as if I have an interest?
The Outcry Henry James

He represented to the Earl of Kilmarnock, that the rules of war did not authorise the outrage which was contemplated.
Memoirs of the Jacobites of 1715 and 1745 Mrs. Thomson

It was at the time when the Chamber was asked to authorise the issue of lottery stock.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete Emile Zola

Parliament alone could authorise the representation of this production.
Handel Romain Rolland

And remember also that I do not authorise you in any way to resume this conversation.
The Man Bram Stoker

Then will you authorise me to give the necessary orders so your carriage and servants will be ready at that hour?
Pride Eugne Sue

I will gladly do so,” said Dr. Martin, “if Mr. and Mrs. Fairfield authorise it.
Patty’s Summer Days Carolyn Wells

We know really nothing about primitive man, there is not sufficient evidence to authorise conjectures.
The Idea of Progress J. B. Bury

verb (transitive)
to confer authority upon (someone to do something); empower
to permit (someone to do or be something) with official sanction: a dealer authorized by a manufacturer to retail his products
v.

chiefly British English spelling of authorize (q.v.); for suffix, see -ize. Related: Authorised; authorising.
v.

“give formal approval to,” late 14c., autorisen, from Old French autoriser “authorize, give authority to” (12c.), from Medieval Latin auctorizare, from auctor (see author (n.)). Modern spelling from 16c. Related: Authorized; authorizing.