licence

American  

[lahy-suhns] / ˈlaɪ səns /

noun

1. Chiefly British. a variant of license.

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licence British  

/ ˈlaɪsəns /

noun

1. a certificate, tag, document, etc, giving official permission to do something

2. formal permission or exemption

3. liberty of action or thought; freedom

4. intentional disregard of or deviation from conventional rules to achieve a certain effect

   poetic licence

5. excessive freedom

6. licentiousness

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Etymology

Origin of licence

C14: via Old French and Medieval Latin licentia permission, from Latin: freedom, from licet it is allowed

Example Sentences

Kingsley will have to serve half of her sentence in prison before being released on licence.

From BBC

He will continue negotiations with the government on the corporation's charter and the future of the licence fee and BBC funding.

From BBC

The court heard that he already had nine points on his driving licence for three prior speeding offences between August 2023 and May 2025.

From BBC

In 2024, the regulator issued an order against Starlink, accusing it of operating without a licence and instructing it to immediately cease all operations in Namibia.

From BBC

The industry group said it wanted the government to review its approach to offshore oil and gas exploration licences after last year's ban.

From BBC