license
formal permission from a governmental or other constituted authority to do something, as to carry on some business or profession.
a certificate, tag, plate, etc., giving proof of such permission; official permit: a driver's license.
permission to do or not to do something.
intentional deviation from rule, convention, or fact, as for the sake of literary or artistic effect: poetic license.
exceptional freedom allowed in a special situation.
excessive or undue freedom or liberty.
the legal right to use a patent owned by another.
to grant authoritative permission or license to.
Origin of license
1Other words from license
- li·cens·a·ble, adjective
- li·cense·less, adjective
- li·cens·or, li·cen·ser, noun
- de-li·cense, verb (used with object), de-li·censed, de-li·cens·ing.
- non·li·cens·a·ble, adjective
- non·li·censed, adjective
- pre·li·cense, noun, verb (used with object), pre·li·censed, pre·li·cens·ing.
- re·li·cense, verb (used with object), re·li·censed, re·li·cens·ing.
Words that may be confused with license
- certificate, degree, diploma, license
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for license
/ (ˈlaɪsəns) /
to grant or give a licence for (something, such as the sale of alcohol)
to give permission to or for
Derived forms of license
- licensable, adjective
- licenser or licensor, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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