permissible
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of permissible
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word permissibilis. See permission, -ible
Explanation
If something is permissible, then it is allowed. If it's not permissible then you probably shouldn't be doing it. If someone asked you, "Is it permissible for me to have a cupcake?" they're asking very formally for your permission to dig in. Usually the word permissible has to do with laws, rules, and what's generally acceptable. It's not permissible to take your pants off in public, for example. Wearing a hat inside is permissible according to the law, but it's not permissible according to church customs or your grandma's rules.
Vocabulary lists containing permissible
"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -able, -ible
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The Most Beautiful Roof in the World
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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.
Permissible hours for teens as young as 14 were extended to 9 p.m. from 7 p.m., the federal standard, during the school year.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2025
Permissible: The rime is called a "feminine rime".
From The Century Handbook of Writing by Greever, Garland
Permissible, if you choose, to make fun of funny people, but you must not at the same time make use of their kindness.
From Aurora the Magnificent by Brownell, Gertrude Hall
Permissible Explosives.—The most important progress in these tests and investigations has been made in those relating to the various explosives used in getting coal from mines.
From Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, vol. LXX, Dec. 1910 Federal Investigations of Mine Accidents, Structural Materials and Fuels. Paper No. 1171 by Wilson, Herbert M.
Du Pont Permissible: nitroglycerine, ammonium nitrate, common salt.
From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 3: Estremoz to Felspar by Various
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.
