authoritylike

Authoritylike is an adjective used to describe something that resembles or functions as an authority, without necessarily possessing formal legitimacy or official status. The form combines authority with the suffix -like to indicate resemblance rather than equivalence.

In discourse analysis and communication studies, authoritylike features include confident tone, appeals to expertise, citation of authorities, institutional logos, or rules presented as universal or binding. Such features can lend persuasiveness or perceived legitimacy to statements, policies, or organizations even when formal authority is weak or contested.

Usage notes: authoritylike can be neutral when describing a style or phenomenon, or pejorative when signaling manipulation or unchecked power. It is distinct from authoritative, which denotes recognized legitimacy, and from authoritarian, which implies coercive control. The term is more common in scholarly discussions than in everyday language and may be coined in analysis rather than widely defined in dictionaries.

See also: pseudo-authority, authoritative discourse, institutional legitimacy, rhetorical authority.