permit
1 Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
-
to grant permission; allow liberty to do something.
-
to afford opportunity or possibility.
Write when time permits.
-
to allow or admit (usually followed byof ).
statements that permit of no denial.
noun
verb
-
(tr) to grant permission to do something
you are permitted to smoke
-
(tr) to consent to or tolerate
she will not permit him to come
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to allow the possibility (of)
the passage permits of two interpretations
his work permits him to relax nowadays
noun
-
an official certificate or document granting authorization; licence
-
permission, esp written permission
Usage
What are other ways to say permit?
To permit is to allow someone to do something. How is permit different from allow and let? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- permittee noun
- permitter noun
- unpermitting adjective
Etymology
Origin of permit1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin permittere “to let go through, give leave,” equivalent to per- per- + mittere “to let or make (someone) go”; admit, commit, etc.
Origin of permit1
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; apparently by folk etymology from Spanish palometa palometa
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.
In a visit to Pacific Palisades on Wednesday, top White House officials vowed to take over and speed up building permitting, a core state and local function, for rebuilding after the Los Angeles wildfires.
From Los Angeles Times
Rabie tried to make a living as a driver, but couldn't get a license without a residence permit, and has since survived on help from friends and relatives.
From Barron's
And Olka had managed to get herself a job as a courier at the Eagle Pharmacy, the sole Polish-owned business that was permitted to stay open within the ghetto walls.
From Literature
That first night I slept on it the nightmare came back, as if my conscience wouldn’t permit me to find rest while my mates still suffered.
From Literature
For the first time since Sochi 2014, the National Hockey League is permitting its athletes to participate in the Winter Olympics.
From BBC
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.
