权威 (quánwēi) — authority; authoritative

权威 (quánwēi)

权威 refers to authority, either as an abstract quality (the power to be believed or obeyed) or as a concrete noun (an authoritative person or institution). Used as an adjective before a noun, it means "authoritative." It appears in academic, journalistic, and institutional discourse where the credibility of a source or expert is at issue.

Meanings

1. [n] authority (the power to command belief or obedience)
2. [n] authority, expert (a person or institution recognized as definitive)
3. [adj] authoritative, definitive

Example Sentences

这部词典被视为现代汉语研究领域最具权威的参考工具。 Zhè bù cídiǎn bèi shì wéi xiàndài Hànyǔ yánjiū lǐngyù zuì jù quánwēi de cānkǎo gōngjù. This dictionary is regarded as the most authoritative reference tool in the field of modern Chinese research.

权威的确立不仅依赖专业知识，也取决于社会对其合法性的认可。 Quánwēi de quèlì bùjǐn yīlài zhuānyè zhīshì, yě qǔjué yú shèhuì duì qí héfǎxìng de rènkě. The establishment of authority depends not only on expertise but also on social recognition of its legitimacy.

面对舆论的质疑，政府部门急需发布权威的调查结论以平息公众恐慌。 Miàn duì yúlùn de zhíyí, zhèngfǔ bùmén jí xū fābù quánwēi de diàochá jiélùn yǐ píngxī gōngzhòng kǒnghuāng. Faced with public skepticism, government departments urgently needed to release authoritative investigation conclusions to calm public panic.

这位经济学权威的预测屡次被历史证明是正确的。 Zhè wèi jīngjì xué quánwēi de yùcè lǚcì bèi lìshǐ zhèngmíng shì zhèngquè de. The predictions of this economics authority have repeatedly been proved correct by history.

在信息爆炸的时代，辨别哪些来源真正具有权威性变得愈发困难。 Zài xìnxī bàozhà de shídài, biànbié nǎxiē láiyuán zhēnzhèng jùyǒu quánwēi xìng biàn de yùfā kùnnán. In an era of information overload, it becomes increasingly difficult to identify which sources are genuinely authoritative.

他在该领域积累了数十年的研究成果，早已成为公认的学术权威。 Tā zài gāi lǐngyù jīlěi le shùshí nián de yánjiū chéngguǒ, zǎo yǐ chéngwéi gōngrèn de xuéshù quánwēi. He has accumulated decades of research achievements in the field and has long been recognized as an academic authority.

Collocations

Usage Notes

权威 can function as a noun referring to an abstract quality (authority, credibility) or to a specific person (an expert). When used before a noun as a modifier, it means "authoritative": 权威报告 (authoritative report), 权威解读 (authoritative interpretation). Note the difference from 权力 (quánlì, power/authority in a political or legal sense): 权力 is coercive institutional power, while 权威 is earned credibility or recognized expertise.

In academic writing, 权威 often collocates with 来源 (source), 机构 (institution), and 专家 (expert).

Memory Hook

权 (power/right) + 威 (prestige/awe) — 权威 is the combination of power and the awe it commands, i.e., recognized authority.