permission
Americannoun
-
authorization granted to do something; formal consent.
to ask permission to leave the room.
-
the act of permitting.
noun
Other Word Forms
- nonpermission noun
- permissioned adjective
- permissory adjective
- self-permission noun
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”; 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.
If the application is successful, they are granted permission to stay in the UK for three months and can claim benefits.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
All the emails I'm seeing are sent to the email address [email protected], which is the one you've given me permission to access.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
It also recently received permission to put another few thousand satellites into orbit by 2035.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
“At the end of the day, I think that this industry to which I belong needs to earn the social permission to consume energy,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
“We don’t need your permission to make a decision for my father,” Jimmy countered.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
