authorities's

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "authorities's" is not correct in written English.
The correct possessive form of "authorities" is "authorities'." Example: "The authorities' decision was final and could not be appealed."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Wiki

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

For four years, the drug lord took advantage of the government's mistake to fall off the authorities's radar and continue to command the cartel behind the scenes.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

"It's an anachronism in 2013," said Paul Bittar, the authority's chief executive.

The New York Times - Sports

The transportation authority's situation is dire.

The New York Times

The authority's chairman, Ronald Stack, denies that.

The New York Times

The authority's structure is a legacy of its creation.

The New York Times

The deal has to pass the competition authority's scrutiny.

Independent

That is the local authority's job.

The Guardian

The Palestinian Authority's unilateral move deserved a strong response.

The New York Times

Then he was made the authority's vice chairman.

The New York Times

Some customers said they sympathized with the authority's challenge.

The New York Times

Compensation varied widely within the authority's various divisions.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure correct possessive forms by checking grammar guides or style manuals.

Common error

Writers often mistakenly add an extra 's' to plural possessives. Remember that for plural nouns ending in 's', the possessive is formed by adding only an apostrophe after the 's'. Therefore, use "authorities'" instead of "authorities's".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "authorities's" is intended to function as a possessive noun phrase, attempting to show ownership or association. However, Ludwig AI indicates that it is grammatically incorrect. The correct possessive form for the plural noun authorities is authorities'.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Wiki

32%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "authorities's" is grammatically incorrect. The correct possessive form is "authorities'". As Ludwig AI notes, it's advisable to use alternative phrasing such as "decision of the authorities" to ensure grammatical accuracy and clarity. While the phrase might appear in various contexts, primarily in news and wiki sources, its incorrectness suggests avoiding its use in formal or professional writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

authorities' decision

Replaces the possessive form with a clearer noun + preposition structure.

decision of the authorities

Uses an alternative structure for expressing possession.

authorities' ruling

Substitutes decision with ruling, offering a near synonym.

government's decree

Replaces authorities with government to specify the entity.

officialdom's stance

Uses a more formal term, officialdom, in place of authorities.

the leadership's perspective

Shifts the focus to the leadership of the authorities.

the administration's policy

Specifies the authorities as the administration and the action as policy.

the agency's determination

Highlights agency action rather than general authority.

the board's resolution

Focuses on a specific governing body within the authorities.

the council's judgment

Frames the authorities as a council making a judgment.

FAQs

How do I correctly form the possessive of "authorities"?

For plural nouns ending in 's' like "authorities", the possessive is formed by adding only an apostrophe after the 's': "authorities'". An alternative is to rephrase, for instance, "the decision of the authorities".

What is a grammatically correct alternative to "authorities's"?

Instead of the incorrect "authorities's", you can use alternatives like "authorities' decision" or "decision of the authorities".

Is there a difference between "authority's" and "authorities'"?

Yes. "Authority's" refers to the possessive of a single authority, while "authorities'" refers to the possessive of multiple authorities.

When should I use "the decision of the authorities" instead of "authorities'"?

Using "the decision of the authorities" is appropriate when you want to avoid possessive forms altogether for clarity, especially in formal writing, and is used as an alternative of "authorities' decision".