official permission or approval; "authority for the program was renewed several times"
the power or right to give orders or make decisions; "he has the authority to issue warrants"; "deputies are given authorization to make arrests"; "a place of potency in the state"
an authoritative written work; "this book is the final authority on the life of Milton"
an expert whose views are taken as definitive; "he is an authority on corporate law"
(usually plural) persons who exercise (administrative) control over others; "the authorities have issued a curfew"
(orthopedics) the act of pulling on a bone or limb (as in a fracture) to relieve pressure or align parts in a special way during healing; "his leg was in traction for several days"
the property of relative size or extent (whether large or small); "they tried to predict the magnitude of the explosion"; "about the magnitude of a small pea"
relative importance; "a problem of the first magnitude"
a courteous expression (by word or deed) of esteem or regard; "his deference to her wishes was very flattering"; "be sure to give my respects to the dean"
courteous regard for people's feelings; "in deference to your wishes"; "out of respect for his privacy"
the significance of a story or event; "the moral of the story is to love thy neighbor"
concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles; "moral sense"; "a moral scrutiny"; "a moral lesson"; "a moral quandary"; "moral convictions"; "a moral life"
psychological rather than physical or tangible in effect; "a moral victory"; "moral support"
arising from the sense of right and wrong; "a moral obligation"
relating to principles of right and wrong; i.e. to morals or ethics; "moral philosophy"