From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe authoritiesthe authorities[plural]GOVERNMENT the people or organizations that are in charge of a particular country or area an agreement between the US and Colombian authorities → authority
Examples from the Corpus
the authorities• On January 12, the local authorities decided that the strike had gone on long enough.• Federal authorities said that no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing as of yet.• The South African authorities arrested Mandela in August 1962.• The country is facing famine, and the authorities are doing little to prevent it.• The fires of May 1862 only confirmed the authorities in their antipathy to students.• How could the authorities treat children in this heartless and dispassionate manner?• But she knew the Authorities would never recognise this, or acknowledge that they did.• By the end of the emancipation process, the authorities lacked the wherewithal to pay for the transference of land.• Please report any suspicious activities to the authorities immediately.• Officially the case has never been cleared up, as not a soul reported the man to the authorities.• Rumors come and go and we pass them on to the authorities.• Meanwhile Mr and Mrs M's concern over the way the authorities handled the case of the W family grew. 