autoridad
nounCEFR B2High frequency
What does “autoridad” mean in English?
authority — the abstract concept of legitimate power; or the bodies and persons who exercise it
authority — the abstract concept of legitimate power; or the bodies and persons who exercise it (las autoridades sanitarias; ejercer la autoridad; hablar con autoridad)
Example sentences
Las autoridades sanitarias emitieron una alerta tras detectar niveles preocupantes de contaminación en las aguas costeras.
The health authorities issued an alert after detecting worrying levels of contamination in coastal waters.
Cuestionar la autoridad de una institución no equivale a negarla: puede ser una forma de fortalecerla.
Questioning an institution's authority is not the same as denying it: it can be a way of strengthening it.
Habla del tema con tanta autoridad que resulta difícil imaginar que no sea un experto en la materia.
He talks about the subject with such authority that it is hard to imagine he is not an expert in it.
How to use it
La autoridad (noun, feminine) means 'authority' — both the abstract concept of legitimate power and the specific bodies or persons who exercise it. At B2, both senses are active. Core collocations: la autoridad competente/local/sanitaria; ejercer la autoridad; cuestionar/desafiar/reforzar la autoridad; con autoridad (confidently, authoritatively); las autoridades (the authorities — plural, referring to official bodies); por orden de las autoridades. The adjective is autoritario/a (authoritarian) — distinct from con autoridad (done with confidence/expertise).
Common mistake
Las autoridades (plural) = the authorities (official bodies, e.g. police, health authorities). La autoridad (singular) = authority as an abstract concept or a specific authority figure. Autoritario/a = authoritarian (political adjective — don't confuse with tener autoridad sobre alguien). 'The authorities have confirmed' = Las autoridades han confirmado (not *la autoridad ha confirmado in plural-reference contexts).