permit
1 Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to grant permission; allow liberty to do something.
-
to afford opportunity or possibility.
Write when time permits.
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to allow or admit (usually followed byof ).
statements that permit of no denial.
noun
verb
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(tr) to grant permission to do something
you are permitted to smoke
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(tr) to consent to or tolerate
she will not permit him to come
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to allow the possibility (of)
the passage permits of two interpretations
his work permits him to relax nowadays
noun
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an official certificate or document granting authorization; licence
-
permission, esp written permission
Usage
What are other ways to say permit?
To permit is to allow someone to do something. How is permit different from allow and let? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- permittee noun
- permitter noun
- unpermitting adjective
Etymology
Origin of permit1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin permittere “to let go through, give leave,” equivalent to per- per- + mittere “to let or make (someone) go”; admit, commit, etc.
Origin of permit2
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; apparently by folk etymology from Spanish palometa palometa
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He said he would permit mortgage giants Fannie Mae External link and Freddie Mac External link to use a product from competitor VantageScore if they chose.
From Barron's
The third option, pushed by housing groups, was the most aggressive, adding the same provisions as the first but permitting buildings as tall as eight stories within a half-mile of 55 transit stops.
From Los Angeles Times
Fieldwork and logistics were supported by multiple organizations in Nunavut, with permits granted by territorial authorities and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.
From Science Daily
Jurors heard she was permitted to hold her son's hand when his life support was withdrawn, and was heard to say: "I should have protected you."
From BBC
Current regulations permit any teacher who is over 21 and has held a standard licence for more than two years to drive a minibus which holds up to 16 passengers.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
