authority figures
Those in charge
Authority figures are people who hold power or command respect in a given context—parents, teachers, bosses, police officers, government officials.
The term often appears in discussions of psychology and social dynamics: He has trouble with authority figures, Children need consistent authority figures.
The phrase can carry a slightly clinical or analytical tone, as if examining why people obey or rebel.
- parentsMother and father
- father figureMale role model
- head of householdFamily's chief decision-maker
- parental guidanceAdvisory for young viewers
- supervisorOne who directs workers
arbitrator · mentor · commander · drill sergeant · officer · guardian · teacher · boss · police · police officer · crossing guard · manager · law enforcement · justice system · judge · supreme court · matriarch · coach
authority figuressubordinates
Those ranked below
underlings · followers · minions · inferiors · rank and file
authority figurescommon people
Non-elite members of society
ordinary citizens · the masses · laypeople · nobodies · civilians
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