circumscribe the authority
/ˌsɜːrkəmˈskraɪb ðiː əˈθɔːrəti/
Meaning
To restrict, limit, or define the boundaries of someone's official power or decision-making rights. This formal expression is commonly used in corporate governance, legal frameworks, and organizational restructuring to establish clear checks and balances.
Examples
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The new board of directors voted to circumscribe the authority of the CEO regarding major acquisitions.
The new board of directors voted to circumscribe the authority of the CEO regarding major acquisitions.
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To prevent future financial discrepancies, we must circumscribe the authority of the department heads.
To prevent future financial discrepancies, we must circumscribe the authority of the department heads.
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The corporate bylaws clearly circumscribe the authority of the executive committee.
The corporate bylaws clearly circumscribe the authority of the executive committee.
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Her contract was amended to circumscribe her authority over international marketing budgets.
Her contract was amended to circumscribe her authority over international marketing budgets.
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If we do not circumscribe the authority of this subcommittee, they might overstep their mandate.
If we do not circumscribe the authority of this subcommittee, they might overstep their mandate.
Common Mistakes
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✗ We need to circumscribe about the authority of the manager.
✓ We need to circumscribe the authority of the manager.
'Circumscribe' is a transitive verb and directly takes an object. Do not use the preposition 'about' after it.
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✗ The manager was circumscribed his authority.
✓ The manager's authority was circumscribed.
In passive constructions, the authority itself is the subject that is circumscribed, not the person holding the authority.
Related Expressions
Practice
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The compliance department seeks to ___ of the trading team to minimize risk.
💡 Restrict the official decision-making power.
Show answer
circumscribe the authority
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It is crucial to ___ of the regional managers to maintain centralized control.
💡 Limit the official rights of the managers.
Show answer
circumscribe the authority