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licence

American

[lahy-suhns] / ˈlaɪ səns /

noun

Chiefly British. a variant of license.

licence British

/ ˈlaɪsəns /

noun

a certificate, tag, document, etc, giving official permission to do something
formal permission or exemption
liberty of action or thought; freedom
intentional disregard of or deviation from conventional rules to achieve a certain effect

poetic licence
excessive freedom
licentiousness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of licence

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

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.

Ukraine's state savings bank, Oschadbank, said they had a valid licence and that it was a routine journey between Austria and Ukraine.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

A licence is also required from Scotland's nature body, NatureScot, due to the presence of otters in the area.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

The cost of a TV licence has increased from £174.50 to £180 a year.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Unable to work, she has lost her business and her driving licence was revoked because she is not safe to get behind the wheel.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

I know my date of birth: my parents told me, it is recorded on my birth certificate, my driving licence, my passport, and in all sorts of official records.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023