The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word AUTHORITY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
A
U
T
H
O
R
I
T
Y
More clues leading to the result AUTHORITY
- A universal god: that nameless thing with unknown power
- Power – a youth desperate to grab it after start of revolution
- Writer on computer matters, unknown expert
- Write on sex with variable confidence
- For influence, write the thing with Hemingway’s ending
- Writer with personal magnetism has unknown power
- Power shown by writer — shame page is missing
- Permit writer at town, but topless
- . Writer with sex appeal has unknown power
- King for one, with appeal on last day in command
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "power" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case power = authority.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 AUTHORITY mean?
AUTHORITY noun- The power to enforce rules or give orders.
- (used in singular or plural form) Persons in command; specifically, government.
- A person accepted as a source of reliable information on a subject.
- Government-owned agency which runs a revenue-generating activity.