green light

noun

: authority or permission to proceed
green-light transitive verb

Examples of green light in a Sentence

we were given the green light to use the town commons for our fund-raiser
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Others just get giddy having a green light to upend society’s rules of decorum, even for a short window of time. John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025 Reporting indicates that the assault’s green light came from only a handful of Hamas leaders and commanders, including Yahya Sinwar, Marwan Issa, and Mohammed Deif (all of whom were later assassinated by Israel). Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025 Baldwin asked Scoop, referring to a green light beaming from his finger. Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025 The high court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, has given a series of green lights to the White House without full hearings or any explanation of its reasoning, as is typical on the court’s emergency docket, also known as the shadow or interim docket. Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for green light

Word History

Etymology

from the green traffic light which signals permission to proceed

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of green light was in 1937

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Green light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/green%20light. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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