Official permission; authorisation to act in some capacity on behalf of a ruling entity.
A reliable, definitive source of information on a subject.
Persons, regarded collectively, who occupy official positions of power; police or law enforcement.
A government-owned agency that runs a revenue-generating activity for public benefit.
Status as a trustworthy source of information, reputation for mastery or expertise; or claim to such status or reputation.
Power or right to make or enforce rules or give orders; or a position having such power or right.
The antecedent of a conditional statement.
An assumption taken to be true for the purpose of argument or investigation.
Used loosely, a tentative conjecture explaining an observation, phenomenon or scientific problem that can be tested by further observation, investigation and/or experimentation. As a scientific term of art, see the attached quotation. Compare to theory, and quotation given there.