license
Americannoun
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licenses
plural
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formal permission from a governmental or other constituted authority to do something, as to carry on some business or profession.
-
a certificate, tag, plate, etc., giving proof of such permission; official permit.
a driver's license.
-
permission to do or not to do something.
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intentional deviation from rule, convention, or fact, as for the sake of literary or artistic effect.
poetic license.
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exceptional freedom allowed in a special situation.
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excessive or undue freedom or liberty.
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the legal right to use a patent owned by another.
verb (used with object)
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licenses,
present (3rd person singular)
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licensed,
past participle, past
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licensing
present participle
verb
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to grant or give a licence for (something, such as the sale of alcohol)
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to give permission to or for
Usage
What does license mean? License means permission to do something, especially formal permission from a government or other authority. The word often refers to the proof of that permission, such as a card or certificate. A license can be required for many different kinds of activities, especially those that may be considered dangerous if a person does not have the proper training. The most common types of licenses are driver’s licenses, professional licenses, and licenses for businesses. Those who hold such licenses are said to be licensed. License can also be used as a verb, meaning “to grant permission” or “to give a license to.” In British English, it is commonly spelled licence. Example: I have permission to operate here, and if you doubt it you can even see my license.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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licensernoun
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licensornoun
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prelicensenoun
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de-licenseverb (used with object)
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relicenseverb (used with object)
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licensableadjective
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licenselessadjective
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nonlicensableadjective
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nonlicensedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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licensesimple
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licensessimple
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have licensedperfect
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has licensedperfect
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am licensingprogressive
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are licensingprogressive
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is licensingprogressive
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have been licensingperfect progressive
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has been licensingperfect progressive
Past
-
licensedsimple
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had licensedperfect
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was licensingprogressive
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were licensingprogressive
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had been licensingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of license
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English licence, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin licentia “authorization,” Latin: “freedom,” equivalent to licent- (stem of licēns, present participle of licēre “to be allowed”) + -ia noun suffix; see -ia, -ence
Explanation
What does 007's license to kill have to do with that driver's license you can't wait to acquire? Both are forms of permissions conferred officially. If you’re in England, the noun ends in “c,” as in driver’s licence. When you have a license, you have official permission to do something, like drive a car. Bars need a liquor license to serve alcohol. Doctors need a medical license to practice medicine. You can also say people have license to do something, which means they're free to do it, like if you give yourself poetic license to misspell your own name. In Britain, license is only a verb, meaning "allow," and the noun form is spelled with two cs: licence.
Vocabulary lists containing license
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 5
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"What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" Vocabulary from the speech
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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.
See Examples For:
Berkeley police used license plate-reading technology to find the suspects’ vehicle in West Oakland.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2026
“Every license application and contract renewal would have become about him and his relationship with the spy—and any other compromising personal relationships—instead of the company.”
From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2026
By “professional school,” I mean programs like medical or law school, that lead to a license or specific credential.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026
In June, it signed an exclusive license with UniQuest, the commercialization company of the University of Queensland in Australia, to advance a new prostate cancer treatment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026
In the four years that followed, Dad got rid of the telephone and chose not to renew his license to drive.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
It’s unclear whether all of those licenses have access to Outlook.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 13, 2026
Researchers have found that up to 75% of people with suspended licenses get behind the wheel anyway.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
In late 2024, Gilead granted voluntary licenses for lenacapavir to six generic manufacturers, including Dr. Reddy's.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Marissa Rodriguez said she wasn’t aware of the web of licenses and city permits she would have to obtain before she could open her wine shop in Studio City, Dia Natural Wine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
But they held on to those little yellow cards as though they meant something—laid them gently in the shoe box along with the rent receipts, marriage licenses, and expired factory identification badges.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
Winston responded by saying his first professional degree is in architecture, he is licensed in the field and he will be teaching a leadership class at West L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026
Rosebank, which is already licensed, is not covered.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
Winston said his first professional degree is in architecture and he is licensed in the field.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
The system prevents people who register with it from accessing gambling websites and apps licensed in Great Britain.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
I couldn’t even enjoy the moment of being a licensed driver—almost as if it was unfair for something good to happen to a rotten person like me.
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
Record labels that sued AI music companies are now licensing them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
"We're not against regulation; we have a problem when the licensing becomes a tool of control, a tool of exclusion."
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2026
Nintendo also recently signed a licensing partnership with Hasbro, allowing the U.S. company to create toys based on characters in the Zelda series.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Nasdaq opened up licensing deals on its Big Tech benchmark to other money managers earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Employers in a growing number of professions are barred by state licensing agencies from hiring people with a wide range of criminal convictions, even convictions unrelated to the job or license sought.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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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.
