reauthorize

verb

re·​au·​tho·​rize (ˌ)rē-ˈȯ-thə-ˌrīz 

reauthorized; reauthorizing; reauthorizes

transitive verb

: to authorize (something or someone) again

especially : to renew the authority or effective legal power, warrant, or right of

called for Congress to reauthorize the Clean Water Act

Since passage, each law has been amended or "reauthorized," a confusing process under which existing statutes are reenacted with new language.

—Gregg Easterbrook

reauthorization

(ˌ)rē-ˌȯ-th(ə-)rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

plural reauthorizations

Congressional leaders are expected to continue negotiating a long-term reauthorization of the program in the coming weeks.

—Mike Debonis

Examples of reauthorize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Supporting America’s Children and Families Act reauthorizes vital child welfare programs through 2029, providing critical funding for services that assist children and families in need. —Danny K. Davis, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2025

Yet Congress failed to reauthorize the OAA because Trump sank the very bill that would have done so. —Howard Gleckman, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024

Those included promising not to seek a pardon for Edward Snowden, regularly updating the Senate Intel committee on her foreign travel and working with the panel to reauthorize Section 702 of FISA. —Stef W. Kight, Axios, 12 Feb. 2025

The law is supposed to be reauthorized every five years. —Forbes, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for reauthorize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize