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• laissez-passer
  laissez-passer

  noun

  a permit; pass, especially one issued in lieu of a passport.
• laissez passer
  laissez passer

  noun

  a document granting unrestricted access or movement to its holder

laissez-passer

American  

[les-ey-pa-sey, le-sey-pah-sey] / ˈlɛs eɪ pæˈseɪ, lɛ seɪ pɑˈseɪ /

noun

laissez-passers plural

1. a permit; pass, especially one issued in lieu of a passport.

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laissez passer British  

/ lese pase /

noun

1. a document granting unrestricted access or movement to its holder

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Etymology

Origin of laissez-passer

< French: literally, allow to pass

Example Sentences

He carried a laissez-passer from the Eritrean government, allowing him a one-time entry into the country.

From New York Times • Aug. 31, 2016

Unsuccessful asylum-seekers often cannot be sent back to their home countries if they do not have passports, and getting laissez-passer paperwork recognized often takes a long time.

From Reuters • Oct. 23, 2015

In a joint letter to the foreign ministers of six Balkan countries, seen by Reuters, de Maiziere and Steinmeier asked them to accept so-called "laissez-passer" documents.

From Reuters • Oct. 23, 2015

Brafman said the Manhattan District Attorney’s office had his client’s only passport and that a laissez-passer travel document was in Washington and that William Taylor, his lawyer there, would take possession of it.

From BusinessWeek • May 16, 2011

Like every one else, from the proudest nobleman to the boy in wooden shoes, we were given a laissez-passer, which gave us permission to go anywhere; this with a passport was our only credential.

From With the Allies by Davis, Richard Harding