Authority
Authority noun - Something mentioned in a text as providing related and especially supporting information.
Usage example: the Bible is the sole authority for his impassioned defense of creationism
Reference is a synonym for authority in ability topic. In some cases you can use "Reference" instead a noun "Authority", when it comes to topics like source.
Reference
Reference noun - Something mentioned in a text as providing related and especially supporting information.
Usage example: the author's argument is interesting, but the lack of references makes me wonder if it can be proven
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Synonyms for Reference
Authority is a synonym for reference in person topic. Sometimes you can use "Authority" instead a noun "Reference", if it concerns topics such as ability, citation, source.
How words are described
Both words in one sentence
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Authority Equals Asskicking: Anclitas ("little anchors" in Spanish, a reference to his insignias) was the chief of the local Coast Guard, which doubled as the police in Ixtac.
Source: Comic Book / Chanoc - Detective Brass who's name evokes the somewhat archaic term "the brass" as a reference to authority.
Source: Meaningful Name / Live-Action TV - Some stories reference the previous Age of Science, many of the current characters having positions of authority back then.
Cite this Source
Reference and Authority. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/authority/reference
Authority & Reference. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/authority/reference>.
Reference or Authority. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/authority/reference.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "authority" and "reference" have occurred on timeline