Authentication vs Authorization
Also written as AuthN, AuthZ
Authentication confirms who a user is (login); authorization determines what that user is allowed to do (permissions).
Think of it like
Authentication is the bouncer checking your ID at the door; authorization is the wristband that says which rooms of the club you're actually allowed into.
Junior or senior?
Junior sounds like
Uses authentication and authorization interchangeably.
Senior sounds like
Clearly distinguishes the two and can explain the difference in a system they actually built.
Ask them
“Can you explain the difference between authentication and authorization in a system you built?”
Sounds like real experience
Gives a concrete example from a real system — a specific permission check, a role hierarchy they designed — that shows they've actually implemented the distinction, not just defined the two words.
Probe further if
Can define authentication and authorization correctly in the abstract but can't point to a specific permission check or access-control decision they actually built.