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poetic licence

British  

noun

  1. justifiable departure from conventional rules of form, fact, logic, etc, as in poetry

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

He wouldn't elaborate about any poetic licence being taken in the movie.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

And while Johnny Rotten asserted dubious poetic licence in rhyming “Queen” with “fascist regime”, to sing about anarchy in the kingdom of Spain was to risk being taken literally.

From The Guardian • Feb. 11, 2020

You're in for a treat if you like your period drama served with lashings of schoolboy history, a few large dollops of poetic licence, and tastefully presented by someone wearing a comfy cashmere cardy.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2017

“There is a certain amount of poetic licence in the film,” he says with a smile.

From The Guardian • Mar. 28, 2016

This word is only used by poetic licence, and must not be construed literally.

From Three in Norway by Two of Them by Clutterbuck, Walter J.

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