Cryptic crossword clue
Old-fashioned chap having precedence is given authority 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word MANDATED

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
M
A
N
D
A
T
E
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "authority" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case authority = mandated.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does MANDATED mean?

MANDATED verb
  1. To authorize
  2. To make mandatory
MANDATED adjective
  1. Required, mandatory

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