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 broadcaster, which has about 21,500 full time employees, gets most of its income from the licence fee, but the number of TV licences sold has been declining in recent years.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
His is one of the 800 properties which has a licence but was denied planning permission by the council.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
"We've also taken on an additional six full-time members of staff to make sure operators have a licence in place."
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
But because they have a licence they can continue advertising the properties through websites such as Airbnb.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
I made some sort of soothing reply, but with the licence of age she did not listen, hobbling away mumbling that it was her fault.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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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.
