medical-authority
|med-i-cal-au-thor-i-ty|
🇺🇸
/ˌmɛdɪkəl əˈθɔrəti/
🇬🇧
/ˌmɛdɪkəl ɔːˈθɒrəti/
(medical authority)
trusted medical expert or official
Etymology
'medical-authority' is a modern English compound of 'medical' and 'authority'. 'medical' originates from Latin 'medicus' meaning 'physician'; 'authority' originates from Latin 'auctoritas' (from 'auctor') meaning 'influence, origination, or authoritativeness'.
'medical' comes from Latin 'medicus' → Old French/Medieval usage → Middle English 'medical'; 'authority' comes from Latin 'auctoritas' → Old French 'autorité' → Middle English 'autorite', eventually yielding modern English 'authority'. The compound combination follows normal English compounding patterns to mean either an expert individual or an authoritative body.
Initially the elements meant 'physician' (medical) and 'influence/official power' (authority); as a compound it evolved to mean either a trusted medical expert or an organizational body with regulatory power over medical matters.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an individual recognized as an expert in medicine—e.g., a senior physician, researcher, or clinician whose opinions carry professional weight.
The hospital consulted a medical-authority to review the complex case.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
an official body or organization with legal, regulatory, or administrative power over medical practice or public health (e.g., a local health/medical authority that issues guidelines or enforces standards).
The medical-authority issued new guidelines on infection control.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/04 19:38