Definition

1. Verb:
   • To exceed one's authority/power: To act beyond the limits of the power or authority one has been granted, often in an official or professional capacity.
   • To overstep one's authority/power: To go further than is allowed by one's position or role.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Nhân viên đó đã bị khiển trách vì vượt quyền ký hợp đồng. (That employee was reprimanded for exceeding their authority by signing the contract.)
  • Không được vượt quyền quyết định khi chưa có sự đồng ý của cấp trên. (Do not overstep your authority to make a decision without your supervisor's approval.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in formal, organizational, or legal contexts concerning hierarchy, rules, and delegated responsibilities.
• It implies a breach of protocol or rules of conduct, not merely a mistake.

Variants and Related Words

• Lạm quyền (v): to abuse one's power. This often carries a stronger, more negative connotation of using power improperly for personal gain.
  • Viên chức đó bị cáo buộc lạm quyền. (That official was accused of abusing their power.)

Synonyms

• To overstep one's bounds/authority: To go beyond accepted limits.
• To act ultra vires (Latin legal term): To act beyond one's legal power or authority.

Related Idioms

• While there is no direct idiom for vượt quyền, the concept is related to:
  • Cầm đèn chạy trước ô tô: Literally "to hold a lantern and run ahead of the car," meaning to act presumptuously or get ahead of oneself, which can imply overstepping.