authoritative

authoritative — 形容詞

1. behaving with the calm certainty of someone used to being in charge, so that oth

1.形容詞C1
釋義

威嚴的

舉止沉穩自信，令人自然信服服從

behaving with the calm certainty of someone used to being in charge, so that other people naturally listen and do what you say.

例句

The new principal spoke in a calm, authoritative voice that quieted the noisy hallway at once.

新校長以平靜而威嚴的聲音說話，立刻讓吵鬧的走廊安靜下來。

authoritative + voice describing manner of speaking

Captain Reyes gave the crew an authoritative nod, and they moved into position without a single question.

雷耶斯艦長對船員威嚴地點了個頭，他們便毫無疑問地各就各位。

authoritative + nod / gesture

同義詞
  • commanding

    stresses the visible power to make people listen; slightly more theatrical.

  • assertive

    focuses on standing up for your views; not necessarily senior in rank.

  • self-assured

    calm confidence in oneself; does not require power over others.

反義詞
  • hesitant

    showing doubt instead of certainty when speaking or acting.

  • meek

    quietly giving in to others rather than expecting to be obeyed.

文法句型

authoritative + noun (voice, tone, manner, presence)

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person or a feature of how they speak or act (voice, tone, manner, nod, presence). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense describes HOW someone behaves, not WHAT a book or document contains.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher is authoritative about the new rules.
✅The teacher has an authoritative manner when explaining the new rules.
💡'authoritative' modifies the person or their style, not what they are 'about'.
❌authoritarian voice' (when meaning calmly in control).
✅authoritative voice'.
💡'authoritarian' suggests harsh, oppressive control; 'authoritative' is positive and respected.

2. (of a book, study, expert, or piece of information) so thorough and reliable on

2.形容詞C1
釋義

權威的

資料完整準確，公認最值得參考

(of a book, study, expert, or piece of information) so thorough and reliable on its subject that scholars and readers treat it as the standard work to consult.

例句

Professor Mira's biography of Beethoven is widely seen as the most authoritative account of the composer's life.

田中教授寫的貝多芬傳記，普遍被視為描述這位作曲家生平最具權威的著作。

authoritative + account / biography

Before booking the trip, Diego checked an authoritative travel guide for safety advice on hiking the volcano.

麗娜訂行程前，先翻閱一本權威的旅遊指南，查看攀登火山的安全建議。

authoritative + guide as a trusted reference

同義詞
  • definitive

    treated as the final word on the subject, leaving little room for further versions.

  • reliable

    more general; means information you can trust, but not necessarily the leading source.

  • scholarly

    stresses careful academic research; may be authoritative without being widely known.

反義詞
  • unreliable

    cannot be trusted to give correct information.

  • anecdotal

    based on personal stories rather than thorough evidence.

文法句型

authoritative + noun (source, account, study, guide, biography)

用法筆記

Subject is usually a written or recorded work, an organisation, or an expert recognised in their field. Distinguish from sense 1 (about manner): this sense is about being trustworthy as a source of facts. Often used with the superlative ('the most authoritative...').

常見錯誤

❌This blog post is authoritative because the writer feels strongly about the topic.
✅This blog post is opinionated, not authoritative
💡it is not based on careful research.' — being confident is not the same as being a trusted, well-researched source.
❌an authoritative news
✅an authoritative news source' / 'authoritative reporting
💡'news' is uncountable; the adjective usually attaches to a countable head noun like 'source' or 'report'.