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Glite Dictionary
non-authoritative

non-authoritative

6.2
Not official or not from the main source, so check official sources
  • adjective
  • /nɑn-əˈθɔrɪtɪv/
translation icon : no oficial
  • The website provided non-authoritative information that should be double-checked with official sources.

Examples

  • He warned that the report was non-authoritative and might not reflect the latest updates.

  • Many people rely on non-authoritative sources for information.

  • A non-authoritative DNS response means the answer was retrieved from a cache, not the original server.

  • This report is considered non-authoritative.

  • The website provided non-authoritative information that should be double-checked with official sources.

  • He warned that the report was non-authoritative and might not reflect the latest updates.

  • Many people rely on non-authoritative sources for information.

Synonyms

unofficial
vsnon-authoritative
75 3.8

Not approved by the people in charge

is used when something lacks decision power or primary source standing
unaccredited
vsnon-authoritative
2 7.2

Not officially approved by a government or other official body

is broader, applying to any non-primary source or lacking decision power
non-official
vsnon-authoritative
4.4

Not having formal status or approval

is about lacking power to decide or enforce rules rather than mere recognition
unauthoritative
vsnon-authoritative
7.7

Not accepted as official or trusted as correct

is more about lacking decision power rather than about trust or credibility

Antonyms

authoritative
39 5.8

Comes from a trusted source and shows confident control

How Authoritative

authoritative
39 5.8
official
∞ 2.3
non-authoritative
6.2
unofficial
75 3.8

Surface Forms

non-authoritative positive

Morphology

non-authoritative = authoritative (transparent) = non + authoritative

The negative prefix 'non-' combines productively with the adjective 'authoritative' to yield the obvious meaning 'not authoritative'.

Etymology

Non-authoritative breaks into non- meaning 'not' and authority meaning 'power to decide' or 'official control'. So non-authoritative describes something that is 'not official' or 'does not have the power to make rules'.