licence
Americannoun
noun
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a certificate, tag, document, etc, giving official permission to do something
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formal permission or exemption
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liberty of action or thought; freedom
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intentional disregard of or deviation from conventional rules to achieve a certain effect
poetic licence
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excessive freedom
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licentiousness
Etymology
Origin of licence
C14: via Old French and Medieval Latin licentia permission, from Latin: freedom, from licet it is allowed
Explanation
A licence is a permit to do something. You need a licence to drive a car. If you spell it licence instead of license, then you’ll be driving on the left side of the road because the “c” ending is British. A licence, spelled with the “c,” is a noun — like that driver’s licence in your wallet that allows you to drive all over England. In British style, the word license (with an “s”) is only a verb and licence is a noun. So if you can put a/an/or the in front of it, it’s a licence. James Bond had a Licence to Kill in the movie of the same name. Don’t ask to see it!
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.
The emergency licence authorises the production, sale and delivery of Iranian crude and petrochemicals until 21 August.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026
Fixed penalty notices of £300 can be handed out for smaller-scale offences such as littering, minor fly-tipping, or failing to check a waste carrier's licence.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
Thousands of HGV drivers are thought to have received bogus medical tests done in lay-bys and motorway service stations while attempting to renew their licence.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
It comes amid severe cost pressures after income from a licence fee used to fund the corporation in large part fell by around a quarter in real terms since 2017.
From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026
From these two opposed appetites, there arises in cities one of three effects: a principality, liberty, or licence.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
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.
