---
id: "authoritative-server"
kind: "glossary-term"
title: "authoritative server"
language: "en"
category: "DNS and technical foundations"
updated: "2026-10-04T14:01:23Z"
canonical: "https://tldlog.com/glossary/authoritative-server/"
translations:
  es: "https://tldlog.com/es/glosario/servidor-autoritativo/"
  de: "https://tldlog.com/de/glossar/autoritativer-server/"
  fr: "https://tldlog.com/fr/glossaire/serveur-faisant-autorite/"
  it: "https://tldlog.com/it/glossario/server-autoritativo/"
  pt-BR: "https://tldlog.com/pt/glossario/servidor-autoritativo/"
  ru: "https://tldlog.com/ru/glossariy/avtoritativnyy-server/"
  zh-Hans: "https://tldlog.com/zh/cihui/quanwei-fuwuqi/"
---

# authoritative server

A DNS server that holds the official records for a domain or zone and gives final answers about it. Resolvers ask authoritative servers when they do not already have an answer saved. A domain's name servers are its authoritative servers.

## related terms

- [name server](https://tldlog.com/glossary/name-server/)
- [resolver](https://tldlog.com/glossary/resolver/)
- [zone file](https://tldlog.com/glossary/zone-file/)
- [NS record](https://tldlog.com/glossary/ns-record/)