it was not authorized

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it was not authorized" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that something was not officially approved or permitted. Example: "The transaction was flagged because it was not authorized by the account holder."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

One legislator, Bryan Fucetola, said that The Montclarion had broken student organization rules because it was not authorized to hire its own lawyer.

The New York Times

Three days later, the Constituent Assembly made the only decision it was not authorized to make, and changed its role to a house of representatives, by passing the Transition Law, Israel's first law.

Huffington Post

The letter said that it was "Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee".

The New York Times

It was not authorized by the agency head or the president, he said.

The New York Times

"It was not authorized nor did we know anything about it until this firestorm over it erupted".

The New York Times

Fox News tried to distance itself from the video on Wednesday, saying that it was not authorized at the senior executive level.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

It is not authorized.

The New York Times

"It's not authorized," he said.

The New York Times

By doing so, YouTube will avoid the potential liability of having ads appear on copyrighted clips it is not authorized to display.

The New York Times - Tech

It's inadvertent and it's not authorized.

TechCrunch

This scenario poses a major security problem since often the external server is relied upon for ensuring high availability of the data, but it is not authorized to read them.

Computers & Security

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using "it wasn't authorized" in news or conversational writing.

Common error

Avoid using "it was not authorized" when the action was simply not feasible or practical, rather than explicitly disallowed. Authorization implies a process of granting permission, so ensure this aligns with your intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it was not authorized" functions as a declarative statement indicating a lack of official permission or approval. It asserts that a particular action, item, or process did not receive the necessary endorsement from a relevant authority. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "it was not authorized" is a commonly used and grammatically correct way to express that something lacked official permission or approval. Ludwig AI confirms this usage. Predominantly found in news and media contexts, it conveys a neutral tone and serves to inform the audience about the absence of sanction. Alternatives such as "it wasn't permitted" or "it wasn't approved" can be used, but the choice depends on the specific nuance of authorization you want to imply. When using this phrase, clarity regarding the source of authorization is key, and it's important to avoid using it in scenarios where something was merely impractical rather than explicitly disallowed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it wasn't sanctioned

Replaces "authorized" with "sanctioned", implying a formal approval was missing.

it wasn't permitted

Substitutes "authorized" with "permitted", suggesting a lack of allowance.

it wasn't approved

Replaces "authorized" with "approved", indicating a lack of formal agreement.

it lacked authorization

Changes the structure to emphasize the absence of authorization as a quality.

it didn't have permission

Uses a more direct and informal way to express the lack of authorization.

it wasn't endorsed

Replaces "authorized" with "endorsed", suggesting a lack of support or backing.

it wasn't cleared

Substitutes "authorized" with "cleared", implying a lack of clearance or go-ahead.

it wasn't validated

Replaces "authorized" with "validated", suggesting the action or item did not meet the requirements for validation.

it wasn't legitimized

Substitutes "authorized" with "legitimized", implying the action or item did not follow any procedures to be legitimate.

it wasn't ratified

Replaces "authorized" with "ratified", suggesting a lack of formal agreement.

FAQs

What does "it was not authorized" mean?

The phrase "it was not authorized" means that something was done without the necessary permission or approval. It indicates that the action or item in question lacked the official endorsement required to be considered legitimate or valid.

What can I say instead of "it was not authorized"?

You can use alternatives like "it wasn't permitted", "it wasn't approved", or "it lacked authorization" depending on the context.

Is "it wasn't authorized" grammatically correct?

Yes, "it wasn't authorized" is grammatically correct. It is a contraction of "it was not authorized" and is commonly used in informal contexts. The uncontracted form is suitable for formal writing.

How to use "it was not authorized" in a sentence?

Use "it was not authorized" to indicate a lack of permission or approval for a specific action or item. For example: "The transaction was flagged because "it was not authorized" by the account holder."