“Who gave him the 'authority' to do this?” “He didn't do it 'on his own authority' [=he didn't do it on his own]; he was acting 'under the authority of' the company president.” [=the company president gave him the power to do it]
No one 'in authority' objected to the plan. = No one 'in a position of authority' objected to the plan. [=no one with official power to make important decisions objected to the plan]
This office has 'authority' over personnel matters. [=this office has the power to make decisions about personnel matters]
(..) Prost. The state places a bounty on a man's head, I track that man, I find that man, I kill that man, after I've killed him, I transport that man's corpse back to the authorities, and sometimes that's easier said then done, I show that corpse to the authorities proving, yes indeed, I truly have killed him, at which point the authorities pay me the bounty. So… like slavery, it's a flesh-for-cash business. – What's a bounty? – It's like a reward. – You kill people and (..)2012 Django Unchained