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autoridad

authority

noun ow-toh-ree-DAHD Common

Origin: From Latin auctoritas, from auctor (originator, author).

Also means

official, power

Usage Note

Autoridad can mean abstract authority (hablar con autoridad, to speak with authority) or a concrete official body (las autoridades, the authorities). The plural las autoridades often refers to law enforcement or government officials. It is a false friend with English 'authorship' — the Spanish for that is autoría.

Examples

"Las autoridades investigan el accidente."

Natural Translation

The authorities are investigating the accident.

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