Authorizes means grants permission or formal approval for someone to act or perform a task. It often appears in legal, organizational, or procedural contexts, indicating official empowerment. The form authorizes (third-person singular) or authorizing (gerund/participle) expands or enables such permission within a process or document.
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"The board approves and authorizes the release of funds tied to the project milestones."
"The manager authorizes access to the secure system after verifying your credentials."
"The document authorizes the distribution of the confidential materials to approved partners."
"Before the trip begins, the supervisor authorizes the employees to proceed with the planned itinerary."
Authorize comes from Middle English authorisen, via Lating auctoritatem (nominative auctor) meaning “originator, promoter, author, creator,” from auctor “instructor, author, originator,” related to ag- and auctoritas “influence, authority.” The form -ize evolved through French and Latin influence to mean “to make into an authorizing agent” or “to confer authority.” The first known use in English dates to the 15th century, often in legal or ecclesiastical contexts, where it meant to give official power or rights. By the 17th–18th centuries, it broadened to include commercial and administrative permissions. The modern verb authorizes, with its third-person singular -s ending, is used in legal instruments, corporate governance, and policy documents to denote that a person or body has granted authority for a specified action. The noun form authorization derives from the same root and is widely used in formal settings. In contemporary usage, authorizes typically appears in written documents and formal communications, while the related noun authorization or verb authorize are more common in procedural text and policy statements. Overall, the sense remains anchored in conferring official power, permission, or legitimacy to act.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "authorizes" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "authorizes"
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Pronounce as /ˈɔː.θə.raɪ.zɪz/ (US) or /ˈɔː.θə.rɪ.zɪz/ in some accents if medial /eɪ/ shifts. Stress on the first syllable. Start with an open back vowel /ɔː/, then the voiceless interdental /θ/ with the tongue between teeth, followed by a schwa /ə/, then /raɪ/ (r-ike vowel + /aɪ/ diphthong), and end with /zɪz/. In careful speech, keep each consonant distinct, especially /θ/ and the final /zɪz/ cluster._audio reference: think of standard American /ˈɔː.θə.raɪ.zɪz/ maintaining three clear syllables before the final /zɪz/._
Common errors include pronouncing as two syllables or misplacing the/θ/ sound, e.g., saying /ˈɔː.ˈθɔː.raɪzɪz/ or replacing /θ/ with /t/ or /f/. Another frequent issue is merging /raɪ/ with the final /zɪz/ into /raɪzɪz/ or sliding the /ə/ into /ɪ/ too soon. Correct by segmenting: /ˈɔː.θə.raɪ/. and then crisp /zɪz/. Practice with minimal pairs like “author” vs “authorizes” to anchor the /θ/ and /ɹ/ sequences. Work on keeping the /θ/ voiceless and interdental rather than replacing it with /t/ or /d/; finally, ensure a clean, voiceless /z/ in the final cluster, not a voiced /s/._
In General American, you’ll hear /ˈɔː.θə.raɪ.zɪz/ with clear /θ/ and rhotics; the final /zɪz/ remains a syllabic z sound. In many UK accents, /ɔː/ may be realized as a broader vowel and /ɹ/ may be less pronounced or non-rhotic before a vowel, but in “authorizes” the r is often pronounced as /ɹ/; some speakers may reduce /ə/ to a schwa /ə/. Australian pronunciation tends to maintain /ɪ/ in the final syllable; the vowel quality of /ɔː/ and the /θ/ may be dental but slightly softer. Across accents, the primary diffs are vowel quality in /ɔː/, the presence and strength of /θ/, and rhoticity: rhotic American English tends to preserve /ɹ/; UK/AU may show weaker rhotics in non-rhotic varieties. Practicing with native samples helps internalize these variations._
It's tricky because of three elements: the voiceless interdental /θ/ between /ɔː/ and /ə/ which is a common source of substitution, the unstressed schwa after /θ/ that requires quick, relaxed articulation, and the final /zaɪ.zɪz/ cluster where you must clearly vocalize the /z/ sounds without letting the preceding /ɪ/ blend. The three-syllable rhythm with a stressed first syllable makes the timing crucial; rushing the middle /ə/ can smear the word. Focus on maintaining a crisp /θ/ and an audible final /zɪz/ to avoid mishearing as “authorise” or “authorize-ess.”_
A word-specific feature is the triplet consonant cluster around the medial vowel: the alveolar /θ/ followed by /t/ or /ɹ/ in some mispronunciations when speakers coarticulate, and the final /zɪz/ which demands a voiced-then-voiceless transition in linked speech. You might encounter hesitation on /θə/ if you’re not comfortable with interdental frication. Ensuring the /θ/ stays voiceless and that the /zɪz/ is clearly produced with a strong, voiceless z can help you nail the word in formal contexts where precision matters. This unique articulation focuses attention on the delicate dental fricative and the final sibilant cluster._
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