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.
Kaur, who is appealing against her sentence, would serve the rest of it in the community on licence, and could be recalled to prison if she breached her licence conditions.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
He argues that an educational licence could allow him to support public understanding of badgers, wildlife rescue and caring for a protected species.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
The authorities had already revoked the newspaper's licence and blocked access to its website.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
But the loss of its licence and other restrictions dealt a major blow.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Too many farmers had assumed, without due enquiry, that on such a farm a spirit of licence and indiscipline would prevail.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
