# unauthorized

/əˈnɔθɝˌaɪzd/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unauthorized
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. without permission

adjective · CEFR B2 · Formal

not having official permission to happen or to be in a place.

For teachers: done or occurring without official authorization, sanction, or legal permission.

- The security guard stopped the man for making an unauthorized entry into the building.
- The IT department detected several unauthorized attempts to access the company's private database from an external server.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it modifies.

Teaching tip: This is a common term in legal, security, and digital contexts; it sounds much more formal than 'not allowed'.

## Examples

- The security guard stopped an unauthorized visitor at the gate.
- The bank blocked the transaction because it appeared to be an unauthorized attempt to move funds.
- The investigation revealed that several employees had gained unauthorized access to the confidential database over a period of six months, leading to a significant data breach.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.