permissive

American  

[per-mis-iv] / pərˈmɪs ɪv /

adjective

1. habitually or characteristically accepting or tolerant of something, as social behavior or linguistic usage, that others might disapprove or forbid.

   Synonyms:

   lax, lenient, indulgent

2. granting or denoting permission.

   a permissive nod.

3. left to one's choice; not mandatory.

   This legislation is permissive and merely authorizes counties to levy a tax if in the county's best interest.

4. Genetics. (of a cell) permitting replication of a strand of DNA that could be lethal, as a viral segment or mutant gene.

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permissive British  

/ pəˈmɪsɪv /

adjective

1. tolerant; lenient

   permissive parents

2. indulgent in matters of sex

   a permissive society

3. granting permission

4. archaic not obligatory

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Other Word Forms

• nonpermissive adjective
• nonpermissively adverb
• permissively adverb
• permissiveness noun
• unpermissive adjective

Etymology

Origin of permissive

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French permissif “granting permission”; permission, -ive

Example Sentences

That review saw the MoD commit to developing "more permissive" regulations for such autonomous systems, in a potential shift away from the position that there should always be "context-appropriate human involvement" in weapons.

From BBC

Beyond its campus setting, Annie captures a moment when Indian cinema - and state broadcasters - were relatively permissive about youth culture, language and social critique.

From BBC

During a panel discussion on humanitarian assistance, Spoljaric said it was up to leaders to make such laws a political prority and adopt a protective interpretation of the laws, rather than a permissive one.

From Barron's

Mr. Dhume may think that the newly minted labor codes’ permissive hiring rules only apply to private firms that have fewer than 300 workers—instead of 100 workers like before—but that’s an oversimplified analysis.

From The Wall Street Journal

International health bodies, like a British analysis of global alcohol consumption data, show that nations taking stricter stances have seen measurable public‑health gains, complicating the idea that more permissive guidance is inherently “liberating.”

From Salon

Related Words

• indulgent
• lax
• open-minded
• tolerant