unauthorized

Language: en

🇬🇧 /ʌˈnɔːθəˌraɪzd/ 🇺🇸 /əˈnɔθɜrˌaɪzd/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Not having official permission or approval; done without authority.; Not officially sanctioned or approved; unofficial.

🔗 Details

Word forms

Collocations

unauthorized accessunauthorized useunauthorized entryunauthorized disclosureunauthorized absenceunauthorized personnel

Derivatives

authorizeauthorizedauthorizationunauthorizedlyunauthorised

Synonyms

unapprovedillicitillegitimateunlicensedunofficialunpermitted

Antonyms

authorizedapprovedlicensedpermittedofficial

Commonly confused

unauthorised
EN: 'Unauthorised' is simply the British English spelling variant of 'unauthorized'; both mean the same thing.
unapproved
EN: 'Unapproved' means not formally endorsed or sanctioned, while 'unauthorized' specifically implies lacking official permission or authority.

Spelling tips

EN: In British English, the spelling is 'unauthorised' (with 's'); in American English, it is 'unauthorized' (with 'z'). Both are correct in their respective varieties.

💬 Examples

  1. Unauthorized access to the system will be prosecuted.

  2. The book was an unauthorized biography of the president.