licence
Americannoun
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
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.
Carter, who appeared in a video link from Swansea prison, will spend 40% of his sentence in prison and the rest on licence.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
A sizeable proportion of the BBC's income comes from the licence fee, which is payable by all UK households with a television, or whose occupants watch live screening online.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Each member has been given licence to express their own personal brand of humour, whether that's parody, musical or absurdist comedy.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
Ceredigion council said it had only issued one licence to operate donkey or pony rides in the county - from Aberystwyth promenade - while Denbighshire has none.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
This came about from nothing other than his excessive compassion, which gave his soldiers more licence than is suitable to military discipline.
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.
