license
Americannoun
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licenses
plural
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formal permission from a governmental or other constituted authority to do something, as to carry on some business or profession.
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a certificate, tag, plate, etc., giving proof of such permission; official permit.
a driver's license.
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permission to do or not to do something.
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intentional deviation from rule, convention, or fact, as for the sake of literary or artistic effect.
poetic license.
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exceptional freedom allowed in a special situation.
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excessive or undue freedom or liberty.
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the legal right to use a patent owned by another.
verb (used with object)
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licenses,
present (3rd person singular)
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licensed,
past participle, past
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licensing
present participle
verb
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to grant or give a licence for (something, such as the sale of alcohol)
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to give permission to or for
Usage
What does license mean? License means permission to do something, especially formal permission from a government or other authority. The word often refers to the proof of that permission, such as a card or certificate. A license can be required for many different kinds of activities, especially those that may be considered dangerous if a person does not have the proper training. The most common types of licenses are driver’s licenses, professional licenses, and licenses for businesses. Those who hold such licenses are said to be licensed. License can also be used as a verb, meaning “to grant permission” or “to give a license to.” In British English, it is commonly spelled licence. Example: I have permission to operate here, and if you doubt it you can even see my license.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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licensernoun
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licensornoun
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prelicensenoun
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de-licenseverb (used with object)
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relicenseverb (used with object)
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licensableadjective
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licenselessadjective
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nonlicensableadjective
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nonlicensedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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licensesimple
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licensessimple
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have licensedperfect
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has licensedperfect
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am licensingprogressive
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are licensingprogressive
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is licensingprogressive
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have been licensingperfect progressive
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has been licensingperfect progressive
Past
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licensedsimple
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had licensedperfect
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was licensingprogressive
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were licensingprogressive
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had been licensingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of license
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English licence, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin licentia “authorization,” Latin: “freedom,” equivalent to licent- (stem of licēns, present participle of licēre “to be allowed”) + -ia noun suffix; see -ia, -ence
Explanation
What does 007's license to kill have to do with that driver's license you can't wait to acquire? Both are forms of permissions conferred officially. If you’re in England, the noun ends in “c,” as in driver’s licence. When you have a license, you have official permission to do something, like drive a car. Bars need a liquor license to serve alcohol. Doctors need a medical license to practice medicine. You can also say people have license to do something, which means they're free to do it, like if you give yourself poetic license to misspell your own name. In Britain, license is only a verb, meaning "allow," and the noun form is spelled with two cs: licence.
Vocabulary lists containing license
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 5
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"What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" Vocabulary from the speech
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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.
See Examples For:
Flock Safety claims over 5,000 law enforcement agencies use its license plate readers to help locate missing persons, catch thieves and identify suspicious vehicles.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
The company is most known for its camera network, which extracts data about cars from photographs and allows operators to search for vehicles by description or license plate number.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
For more than a decade, Cox has refused to carry the channel, owned by the Dodgers organization, because of its high license fee — leading to one of the television industry’s longest blackouts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The American Civil Liberties Union, which has long criticized Flock and other automatic license plate-readers, said Thursday that it wasn’t confident the new security measures would do enough to prevent misconduct.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
In that case, decided in 1886, the Court unanimously overturned convictions of two Chinese men who were operating laundries without a license.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
“Residency isn’t just where you buy a condo, it’s where you actually live: day counts, driver’s licenses, voter registration, where your doctor is,” Judge said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026
During his time as interior minister, Anutin introduced a number of gun control laws, including a short-term ban on new gun licenses and import restrictions.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Fourth, we need licenses that let people freely use and modify what they build.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The licenses cover preliminary surveys and sampling, with future decisions on commercial exploitation needing further bureau approval.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
They’ll all have to go out and get their drivers’ licenses changed.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Netflix on Friday launched a new hub for YA content that includes several hundred titles of original or licensed movies and shows about the coming-of-age stories of young adults.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Until now, recording proceedings was prohibited in most California superior court cases, requiring a licensed reporter to be present in order take down each word that was spoken for the official record.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Customers in Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain will gradually move to the licensed French entity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
"The members recommended Ervebo, the only licensed Ebola vaccine, be prioritised for inclusion in a randomised clinical trial in the context of the ongoing outbreak," a WHO statement said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Talking with men in the Transient-House I heard of the fur trade up the river, how licensed trappers went up and downriver by sledge or iceboat through Tarrenpeth Forest almost to the Ice.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
In the case of the FTC and FCC, we will have issues enforcing competitive rules and licensing for different broadcast stations.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
Video podcasts from the Jonas Brothers and the cast of “Boy Meets World” are heading to Disney+ as part of a new licensing partnership with iHeartMedia designed to capture viewers on mobile and beyond.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
That licensing model helped put Arm technology into some 350 billion chips worldwide.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Local community organisation, the Soho Society, has previously stated that "alcohol-related harm, including risks to women and vulnerable people at night, must be considered" in decisions on licensing.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
As it turned out, the film was a box office dud, bringing in only $40,000; it did make additional revenue from DVD sales and television licensing.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
