Underauthorize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To remove or decrease the granted authority or permission previously given to someone or something
2. To officially withdraw or limit the rights or powers that were allowed before
3. To reduce or cancel access or approval that was earlier provided for a particular action or role

Etymology: "Underauthorize" is a modern English formation: the prefix "under-" (meaning "less than fully" or "insufficiently") attached to "authorize," which traces back through Old French "autoriser" to Latin "auctoritas," meaning "power" or "influence." Its earliest English sense of "authority" was tied to a person's standing or the right to command. The verb itself is a piece of straightforward compounding rather than a word with a dramatic past. "Under-" has long been productive in English, producing verbs such as "undervalue" and "underestimate," and "underauthorize" follows the same pattern, meaning to grant less permission than was once given, or to withdraw part of it.

Synonyms: underpermit, underallow, underapprove

Antonyms: overauthorize, overpermit, overallow