licence
Americannoun
noun
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a certificate, tag, document, etc, giving official permission to do something
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formal permission or exemption
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liberty of action or thought; freedom
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intentional disregard of or deviation from conventional rules to achieve a certain effect
poetic licence
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excessive freedom
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licentiousness
Etymology
Origin of licence
C14: via Old French and Medieval Latin licentia permission, from Latin: freedom, from licet it is allowed
Explanation
A licence is a permit to do something. You need a licence to drive a car. If you spell it licence instead of license, then you’ll be driving on the left side of the road because the “c” ending is British. A licence, spelled with the “c,” is a noun — like that driver’s licence in your wallet that allows you to drive all over England. In British style, the word license (with an “s”) is only a verb and licence is a noun. So if you can put a/an/or the in front of it, it’s a licence. James Bond had a Licence to Kill in the movie of the same name. Don’t ask to see it!
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.
Before finding fame with pop group Union J, JJ Hamblett, who grew up in Newmarket in Suffolk, spent his youth horse racing and gained his jockey licence at 16.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Dean, 68, lost his sight in an industrial accident and has not had a driving licence since 2007.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
However, there have been reports of police officers citing "immigration" or "ice" as a reason for searching a licence plate.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
British digital bank Revolut announced Thursday it has won conditional approval for a US banking licence, bringing it a major step closer to launching as a national bank in the United States.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
I know my date of birth: my parents told me, it is recorded on my birth certificate, my driving licence, my passport, and in all sorts of official records.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
