green light
1 Americannoun
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a green-colored traffic light used to signal drivers, pedestrians, etc., that they may proceed.
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authorization; approval; permission.
The railroad has been given the green light on the proposed fare increase.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a signal to go, esp a green traffic light
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permission to proceed with a project
verb
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.
A road rage incident at a stoplight in Hollywood a few years ago, triggered by Lee’s delayed response to a green light, became the catalyst for the first season.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
If workers get the green light for a couple of extra days working from home, in all likelihood it would be coming from their immediate managers instead of the company’s top leaders.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
The BBC has spoken to several Ukrainian drone companies who say they have been approached by Gulf states for help, but have not yet been given the green light by the government in Kyiv.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
EU member states have already given their green light.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
They were brown, shot with a green light.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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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.