off-license

or off-li·cence

[ awf-lahy-suhns, of- ]

noun

1. a license permitting the sale of sealed bottles of alcoholic beverages to be taken away from the premises by the purchaser.
2. a store having such a license.

adjective

1. having such a license.

Word History and Origins

Origin of off-license¹

First recorded in 1890–95