Obs. Forms: 6–7 exauthorate, 7 exauterate, -orat(e, 7–8 exauctorate. [f. L. exauctōrāt- ppl. stem of exauctōrāre to dismiss from service, f. ex- (see EX- pref.1) + auctor AUTHOR.]
1. trans. ‘To dismiss from service’ (J.); to depose from office, deprive of authority or rank.
1623–6. Cockeram, Exauthorate, to put men of warre out of wages.
1642. Jer. Taylor, Episc., Ep. Ded. The first Bishop that was exauctorated was a Prince too, Prince, and Bishop of Geneva. Ibid. (1660), Duct. Dubit., II. i. 264. God … can punish and exauthorate whom he please, and substitute others in their room.
1660. Waterhouse, Arms & Arm., 6–7. Admitting a Plebeian coordinateness which in time exauctorated the Senate.
1676. W. Row, Contn. Blair’s Autobiog., xi. (1848), 336. They did exauctorate and depose the Protector Richard Cromwell.
1726. Ayliffe, Parergon, 291. Arius … and other Arch-Hereticks … were by the Church treated with no other Kind of Punishment than … by exauctorating and depriving them of their Degrees therein.
1731–1800. in Bailey.
2. To deprive (a law, etc.) of authority; to destroy the authority of.
1593. Bilson, Govt. Christ’s Ch., 311. That men might see them [the new laws] before you exauthorate the olde.
1606. J. Hynd, Eliosto Libidinoso, 51. The yron naturally cleaveth to the forcible Adamant, and nature can not be exauthorated.
a. 1648. Ld. Herbert, Hen. VIII., Ded. (1649), A ij b. I hope they [defects] will not be so great or many, as to exauctorate the rest.
1679. S. Smith, in Howell, State Trials (1816), VII. 587. He [the pope] exautorats, and invalidates their [the Scriptures’] divine original, and superintendency.
Hence Exauctorated ppl. a., Exauctorating vbl. sb.
1622–62. Heylin, Cosmogr., I. (1682), 239. Conferred on them all the Lands and Possessions of the exauterated Templers.
c. 1661. Argyle’s Will, in Harl. Misc. (1746), VIII. 28/1. An alms-house, for the entertaining of all antiquated, exauthorated elders.
1682. Evelyn, in Pepys’ Diary, VI. 141. Pharaoh’s exauctorated butler.
1785. Arnot, Trials (1812), 338. Letters of orders … granted by an exauctorated Bishop.
1648. Petit. Eastern Assoc., 3. The exautorating, and well neare the adnulling of our Parliament.
1652. W. Sclater (Jun.), Civil Mag. (1653), 15. Samsons, who would thus … attempt the exauctorating of Civill Magistracy.
