authoritative

au·thori·ta·tive (ə t̸hôr′ə tāt′iv, -t̸här′-; also, --ə tə tiv′)

adjective

having or showing authority; official
based on competent authority; reliable because coming from one who is an expert or properly qualified an authoritative biography
asserting authority; fond of giving orders; dictatorial

Etymology: ML auctoritativus

au·thor′i·ta′·tively adverb au·thor′i·ta′·tive·ness noun

modif.

Based on competent authority
well-supported, well-documented, scholarly, reliable, trustworthy, authentic, dependable, definitive, sound; see also sense 2, official 3.
Having authority
official, executive, imperial, administrative, supreme, ex cathedra (Latin), dominant, lawful, legal, mandatory, impressive, imposing, orthodox, ruling, sovereign, having due authority, weighty, having the weight of authority, entitled to obedience, decisive, worthy of acceptance, canonical, valid, standard, authorized; see also administrative, approved, governing, reigning.
Antonyms unauthorized, illegal*, questionable. *
Suggestive of authority
dogmatic, officious, domineering; see absolute 3, autocratic 1.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

make: The church did not put together a canon that made books authoritative because they were included in it.
find: I think people are instantly more reactive in that they find paper publications more authoritative.

Modifies a noun

voice: Asthma UK Scotland has now become the single, most authoritative voice on all aspects of asthma in Scotland.
interpretation: Only a Court can give an authoritative interpretation of the law.
statement: The aim of the exercise has been to provide an authoritative statement of the skill needs of the ICT sector.
source: Credit At Once is the authoritative source for online credit card applications.
commentary: Each items is presented with an authoritative short commentary.
guide: Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique Angola - a country study is the authoritative American guide to the country.

Modifying Another Word

uniquely: It was the uniquely authoritative voice of Nina Simone, however, which succeeded in making I Loves You Porgy such a pivotal song.
equally: Done in duplicate at Budapest this first day of November 1978, in the English and Hungarian languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
apparently: Many apparently authoritative sites do not mention this crucial information i.e. they were prepared before this knowledge was available and have not been up-dated.
truly: Athanasius clearly distinguished between the truly authoritative and canonical writings from those that he considered were simply useful reading.
highly: To celebrate the centenary of Moore's birth in 1898, John Hedgecoe prepared this highly personal yet highly authoritative book.
extremely: As described in this extremely authoritative book: " In terms of business continuity, immediate physical damage is not the most important concern.

Used with adjective complement

regard: We would encourage ONS to continue to develop its approach to low pay in order that the figures can be regarded as authoritative.
consider: Bibliographic information embedded in the publication is considered more authoritative.
sound: He may think that this makes him sound authoritative, when all it actually does is display boorishness and a limited vocabulary.
provide: The Penguin Writers ' Guides series provides authoritative, succinct and easy-to-follow guidance on specific aspects of written English.
become: As the medical profession grew in expertise and stature, their calls for legal controls on opiates and cocaine became more authoritative.
look: Any web design needs to look authoritative, convey the correct messages and download with optimum speed.

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