How to Say "authorities" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “authorities” is “autoridades” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Las autoridades escolares cancelaron la clase por la nieve.
The school authorities canceled class because of the snow.
Debemos seguir las instrucciones de las autoridades sanitarias.
We must follow the instructions of the health authorities.
Si ves algo sospechoso, llama inmediatamente a las autoridades.
If you see something suspicious, call the authorities immediately.
Always Plural
Even when you are referring to a single governing body, this word is almost always used in its plural form: 'Las autoridades' (The authorities).
Feminine Agreement
Since the base word 'autoridad' is feminine, all the words around 'autoridades' must also be feminine, like 'las' (the) and any describing words (adjectives).
Using the Singular
Mistake: “La autoridad llegaron.”
Correction: Las autoridades llegaron. (The authorities arrived.) You must use the plural form and plural verb conjugation.
Related Translations
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