Mamlaka (kutoka Kiarabu; kwa Kiingereza "authority" kutoka neno la Kilatini auctoritas) linaweza kutumika kumaanisha haki ya kisheria ya kutumia nguvu ambayo imetolewa na nchi au vyombo vingine vya serikali kama mahakama,bunge na vyombo vya dola. Neno mamlaka linapotumika katika mashirika au taasisi, huwa linamaanisha chombo kinachotawala ambacho kimepewa nguvu, kwa mfano: Mamlaka ya Maji Safi na Maji Taka Morogoro. Pia neno mamlaka linaweza kumaanisha haki ya kufanya kitu fulani. Giorgio Agamben, State of Exception (2005) Józef Maria Bocheński, Lua error in Module:Unicode_data at line 293: attempt to index local 'data_module' (a boolean value).? (1974) Renato Cristi, Hegel on Freedom and Authority (2005) Alexandre Kojève, "The notion of authority" (2014) Stuart Lachs, Means of Authorization: Establishing Hierarchy in Ch'an/Zen Buddhism in America (1999) Rafael Domingo Osle, Auctoritas (1999) Karl Popper, On the Sources of Knowledge and of Ignorance (1960) Max Weber, Economy and Society (1922) Qualitionary - Legal Definitions - Authority Appeal to Authority Breakdown Archived 27 Desemba 2019 at the Wayback Machine.