permission
Americannoun
-
authorization granted to do something; formal consent.
to ask permission to leave the room.
-
the act of permitting.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of permission
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin permissiōn-, stem of permissiō “a yielding, giving leave,” from permiss(us) “given leave” (past participle of permittere “to let go through, give leave”; see permit 1) + -iō -ion
Explanation
If you give someone approval to do something, you are giving them permission. Think of the permission slip your parents sign to let you go on a field trip––they are approving your going on the trip. Permission has the same Latin root word as permit. They both come from permittere, which means to allow to go or pass through. Permission can be given in writing, it can be given orally, or it can be assumed or unspoken––by passing the box of cookies around the room you're giving everyone tacit permission to help themselves.
Vocabulary lists containing permission
Send a Message: Mit and Miss
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"The War of the Wall" by Toni Cade Bambara
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The Titan's Curse
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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.
Davies gave his permission for the letters to be published.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
"If you are the property owner or you're someone who has permission from the owner to be there then suddenly it opens up this whole new world," Mesaglio said.
From Science Daily • May 18, 2026
Jesenská, a gentile, was a Czechoslovak citizen living in Vienna, and when she received Kafka’s permission to translate him into Czech the two began a passionate correspondence.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
"It feels like since she's been gone, we don't have permission to be happy," Michael Stumo testified.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
But I had left the series behind after our Tribal Youth Council debated whether it was appropriate for a non-Native author to use elements of an actual tribe’s cultural teachings without their permission.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
