Definition of license
- a hunting license
- Freedom of the press should not be turned into license.
- poetic license
The restaurant's owner applied for a license to sell liquor.
His job as a reporter gives him license to go anywhere and ask anything.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'license.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
License and licentious come ultimately from the same word in Latin, licentia, whose meanings ranged from "freedom to act" to "unruly behavior, wantonness." The Latin noun was itself derived from the verb licere "to be permitted." Though we are likely to associate license with the card that grants freedom or permission to operate a motor vehicle and licentious with sexual wantonness, in actuality, there is considerable semantic overlap between the two words. Poetic license refers to deviation from a (usually) literary norm for some purposeful effect. A person who takes license with something (or someone) engages in "abusive disregard for rules of personal conduct." Hence, the semantic range of license in English mirrors that of its Latin antecedent, suggesting either permission or transgression, depending upon the context. Licentious, on the other hand, always implies excessive, transgressive freedom, as is true of its immediate Latin source, licentiosus "unrestrained, wanton" (literally, "full of freedom").
First Known Use: 14th century
in the meaning defined at sense 1a
See Words from the same yearallowance, authorization, clearance, concurrence, consent, granting, green light, leave, permission, sanction, sufferance, warrant;
denial, refusal, rejection, revocation;
imprimatur, seal, signature, stamp;
acceptance, acquiescence, agreement, assent, OK (or okay);
The restaurant has now been licensed to sell liquor.
a new drug licensed by the government
The company licensed its name to others.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'license.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use: 15th century
in the meaning defined at sense 1a
See Words from the same yearban, bar, block, constrain, deny, disallow, disbar, discourage, disenfranchise, disfranchise, exclude, hinder, hold back, impede, inhibit, obstruct, prevent, shut out, stop;
enjoin, forbid, interdict, outlaw, prohibit, proscribe, veto;
approve, clear, credential, endorse (also indorse), OK (or okay), sanction;
: an official document, card, etc., that gives you permission to do, use, or have something
: freedom to act however you want to
: the freedom of an artist, writer, etc., to change the way something is described or shown in order to produce a work of art
: to give official permission to (someone or something) to do or use something : to give a license to (someone or something)
: to give official permission for (something)
: to allow the use of (a name, property, etc.) through a formal agreement
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for license Spanish Central: Translation of license Nglish: Translation of license for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of license for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about license
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