1) Ancient Roman virtue 2) Latin phrase 
Latin, meaning: authority 
Auctoritas is a Latin word and is the origin of English `authority.` While historically its use in English was restricted to discussions of the political history of Rome, the beginning of phenomenological philosophy in the 20th century expanded the use of the word. In ancient Rome, Auctoritas referred to the general level of prestige a person ha.....
(Latin) spiritual authority, the idea of knowing one`s position in society and exercising the correct amount of dignity and gravity.
St. Augustine distinguishes divine from human authority: Auctoritas autem partim divina est, partim humana: sed vera, firma, summa ea est quae divina nominatur. Thus God is the highest authority. It is distinctly advantageous to rely on authority: Auctoritati credere magnum compendium. est, nullus labor. Both authority and reason impel us to learn....
authority