What it means
اقتدار (eqtedâr) means “authority” or “power” in the sense of legitimate, institutionalised force. It is borrowed from Arabic اِقْتِدَار (iqdâr), from the root ق-د-ر (q-d-r), meaning ability or power. In Persian, اقتدار sits in a formal register and refers specifically to the kind of power that comes with office or position, rather than raw physical force. A contrast worth noting: قدرت (qodrat) is the broader Arabic-origin word for power or strength, used in both formal and everyday speech, while اقتدار implies recognised authority and commands a more elevated tone.
How to use it
- دولت باید اقتدار ملی رو حفظ کنه. (dowlat bâyad eqtedâr-e melli ro hefz kone.) “The government must maintain national authority.”
- این قانون به پلیس اقتدار بیشتری میده. (in qânun be polis eqtedâr-e bishtar-i mide.) “This law gives the police greater authority.”
- اقتدار دولت زیر سوال رفته. (eqtedâr-e dowlat zir-e soâl rafte.) “The authority of the government has been called into question.”
- با اقتدار صحبت کرد. (bâ eqtedâr sohbat kard.) “He spoke with authority.”
Cultural note
اقتدار is a keyword in Iranian political speech. State media and official proclamations invoke it when asserting national sovereignty or the legitimacy of state institutions, and it appears frequently in discussions of Iran’s regional influence. The concept is closely linked in official discourse to استقلال (esteqlâl, independence), the two often paired as pillars of the Islamic Republic’s stated foreign policy identity. At the personal level, someone described as با اقتدار (authoritative) is considered commanding and self-assured rather than aggressive.