Expert
Trusted authority or paid researcher, depending on whether you like the results.
How We Say It
ek·spurt
Where It Comes From
Latin expertus — tried, proved, known by experience. From experiri — to try, test. Related to experience and experiment. Originally someone who had been tested — knowledge earned through trial, not certification.
How It's Been Used
Authority based on expertise was broadly respected through much of the 20th century. Populist politics of the 21st century attacked expert authority as elitist and undemocratic. Michael Gove's 2016 claim that 'people in this country have had enough of experts' marked a turning point in how the word is used.