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.
He was on licence and managed by multiple agencies including the Met and the Probation Service.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
The licence would allow the new location to remain open and sell alcohol until 23:30 BST on weekdays and midnight at weekends.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Prisoners released on licence, he said, would be subject to "very significant controls on their lives" and victims would be consulted.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
There were 51,419 licence recalls in England and Wales in the year ending March 2026, up from 40,259 in the previous year - a 28% increase.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
A physician, John Webster, wrote The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft against him in 1677: Webster had trouble getting a licence to publish, but finally obtained one from the vice-president of the Royal Society.
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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
