licence

American  

[lahy-suhns] / ˈlaɪ səns /

noun

1. Chiefly British. a variant of license.

---

licence British  

/ ˈlaɪsəns /

noun

1. a certificate, tag, document, etc, giving official permission to do something

2. formal permission or exemption

3. liberty of action or thought; freedom

4. intentional disregard of or deviation from conventional rules to achieve a certain effect

   poetic licence

5. excessive freedom

6. 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

Judge Mrs Justice Lambert told the pair they would serve 40% of the sentence behind bars, with the remainder being served on licence in the community.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

His wife's racing licence will expire at the end of next month and it would not be "viable" for her to run the business.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

But he was again declared unfit to face criminal proceedings - leaving courts powerless to take his licence away.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

While he was deemed too badly injured to stand trial at the time, the investigation was reopened in 2024 after police were tipped off that he had successfully reapplied for his driving licence.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

I know my date of birth: my parents told me, it is recorded on my birth certificate, my driving licence, my passport, and in all sorts of official records.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton