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:
The city’s priciest neighborhoods become particularly clogged each summer as drivers escaping the Gulf’s scorching heat arrive with Ferraris, Lamborghinis and McLarens bearing Middle East license plates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Flock’s license plate-reading cameras have stirred controversy across the state, with many raising privacy concerns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Federal officials are also launching a nationwide audit of third-party testers who are authorized by states to verify commercial driver’s license applicants’ skills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
If “yes” is checked, the contract states that a list of subcontractors — including their names, contact information, license numbers and classifications — must be provided to the homeowner upon request.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
“My license and registration are in the glove compartment.”
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
The licenses were among the industry’s most coveted prizes because the city, with 8.6 million residents, had no full-service casino until this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
The Federal Communications Commission assigns and oversees licenses for radio and television broadcast frequencies.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
ABC in its fight with the Federal Communications Commission over the network’s broadcast licenses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Some of the shuttered schools, for instance, were found to have churned out commercial driver’s licenses within 24 to 48 hours, and some didn’t even have trucks.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
Scraps of paper, driver’s licenses, receipts, grocery lists, drawings in crayon and colored pencil, school pictures.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
Spotify is also developing an AI-powered remixing tool based on licensed music that would allow users to create songs that stay within the platform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Sunny Hostin of the popular daily talk show “The View” has licensed her image and likeness to AI production studio Fountain 0, which will make film adaptations of her novels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
The FCC said it is “working to constrain the outsized power of national programmers while empowering local TV stations to serve their licensed communities.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Authorities have recommended measures including providing safer boats and life jackets, dredging waterways, deploying water guards at jetties and terminals, and ensuring boat operators are properly trained and licensed.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Three years after Mama’s death, I became the first licensed woman watchmaker in Holland.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Over a clam bake, Goldsmith brought up the subject of licensing Warp Drive’s technology to RevMed to target RAS.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
DoH told BBC News NI it stands ready to support the council but "remains conscious of the resource, licensing, and legislative implications".
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate licensing requirements.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Leopold noted that Arm mostly benefits from rising demand through its business selling royalties and licensing for its chip designs — though its first-ever in-house CPU optimized to support AI workloads could offer an advantage.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
In the Pottses’ licensing file, a caseworker noted, The current placement, A. R., has been with the family two plus months.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
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.
