permission
Americannoun
-
authorization granted to do something; formal consent.
to ask permission to leave the room.
-
the act of permitting.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
Kalshi on Thursday launched trading in a handful of cryptocurrency perpetuals after first receiving permission from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission late last week, a Kalshi representative confirmed to MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026
Petraeus was commander of U.S. forces in Iraq; Geren had to get the permission of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to bring home an active war commander; Gates liked the idea and signed off.
From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026
The Turkmen authorities discourage residents from speaking without permission to foreign media, with outside journalists rarely allowed into the reclusive country.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
The federal government has granted some California counties waivers that give them temporary permission not to enforce the requirement.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
She is the name Mom wrote on the field trip permission form.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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.
