license
Americannoun
-
licenses
plural
-
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.
-
intentional deviation from rule, convention, or fact, as for the sake of literary or artistic effect.
poetic license.
-
exceptional freedom allowed in a special situation.
-
excessive or undue freedom or liberty.
-
the legal right to use a patent owned by another.
verb (used with object)
-
licenses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
licensed,
past participle, past
-
licensing
present participle
verb
-
to grant or give a licence for (something, such as the sale of alcohol)
-
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
-
licensernoun
-
licensornoun
-
prelicensenoun
-
de-licenseverb (used with object)
-
relicenseverb (used with object)
-
licensableadjective
-
licenselessadjective
-
nonlicensableadjective
-
nonlicensedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
licensesimple
-
licensessimple
-
have licensedperfect
-
has licensedperfect
-
am licensingprogressive
-
are licensingprogressive
-
is licensingprogressive
-
have been licensingperfect progressive
-
has been licensingperfect progressive
Past
-
licensedsimple
-
had licensedperfect
-
was licensingprogressive
-
were licensingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" Vocabulary from the speech
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
US media identified the copilot as 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgeiras, who had received her pilot's license at age 17, before she received a driver's license.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
One practical benefit of speed-limiters, supporters say, is that motorists can keep driving wherever they want, whereas some license suspensions allow only a work commute, if at all.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
The readers, which are typically mounted on patrol vehicles or light poles, work by continuously scanning license plates and checking them against vast databases of cars wanted in connection with crimes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Janus said it reached a deal with Nasdaq to license the Nasdaq-100 Index.
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
For private charters, pilots are generally able to get their licenses to serve as second in command with at least 250 hours of experience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
SpaceX plans to buy spectrum licenses from at least a few companies and appears to be in talks with cellular tower operators to buy access to their infrastructure.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
In late 2024, Gilead granted voluntary licenses for lenacapavir to six generic manufacturers, including Dr. Reddy's.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
The company has a formula that assesses how much of a credit risk each of us poses, and it licenses it to the big three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
Of the 113 establishments that had licenses to sell soft drinks in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the two that stuck to the law and did not become speakeasies went out of business.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
The company is developing several anti-obesity GLP-1 drugs, including one licensed from China-based Eccogene for $185 million in 2023.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 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
With Miels at the helm, GSK this year bought Nuvalent—a U.S. developer of lung-cancer medicines—for $10.6 billion and licensed an experimental myeloma drug from China’s Chimagen Biosciences for up to $750 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
“So now we can see about turning you into a licensed driver.”
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
Meanwhile, the Healthineers rebrand should remove concerns about Siemens licensing fees, the analyst adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 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
The secretary of state is in charge of administering statewide elections, providing information about ballot measures and candidates to voters, overseeing campaign finance and handling business licensing and filings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
“Can switching to logged-in only further gate the Reddit data? And does that drive any change in data licensing economics?”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
Because Sony bought transistor licensing rights from Western Electric at a time when the American electronics consumer industry was churning out vacuum tube models and reluctant to compete with its own products.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
