Authority
Authority noun - Lawful control over the affairs of a political unit (as a nation).
Usage example: the sheriff had authority over the whole county
Rule is a synonym for authority in power topic. In some cases you can use "Rule" instead a noun "Authority", when it comes to topics like command, control, advantage, law. popular alternative
Rule
Rule noun - Lawful control over the affairs of a political unit (as a nation).
Usage example: the years during which Russia was under Communist rule
Authority is a synonym for rule in power topic. You can use "Authority" instead a noun "Rule", if it concerns topics such as control, advantage, command, government. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
How words are described
| human | human authority | human rule |
| old | old authority | old rule |
| direct | direct authority | direct rule |
| complete | complete authority | complete rule |
| Other adjectives: legal, single, corrupt, strong, actual, real, little, absolute, strict, personal, new, final, military, autocratic, totalitarian, imperial, official, last. | ||
Both words in one sentence
- On the other hand, when he gains the authority to command Cat Sith, he quickly realizes that his rule fu is not up to the task, and he'd better stick to orders Cat doesn't mind following.
-
Satan tempts him with Power, Authority and Rule which Jesus rejects, but the final temptation, and the hardest to resist, is Jesus being a normal man, married to the woman he loves and having children and a family.
- Except that Doctrine is also what gives her the right to rule (without any apparent checks on power or transparency), so she's also protecting her authority.
Source: Ultraterrestrials
Cite this Source
Rule and Authority. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/authority/rule
Authority & Rule. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/authority/rule>.
Rule or Authority. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/authority/rule.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "authority" and "rule" have occurred on timeline