license

noun li·cense \ ˈlī-sᵊn(t)s \

variants: or licence

|Updated on: 15 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: license in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The Shared Roots of license and licentious

Definition of license

1 a : permission to act

b : freedom of action

2 a : a permission granted by competent authority to engage in a business or occupation or in an activity otherwise unlawful

a hunting license

b : a document, plate, or tag evidencing a license granted

c : a grant by the holder of a copyright or patent to another of any of the rights embodied in the copyright or patent short of an assignment of all rights

3 a : freedom that allows or is used with irresponsibility

Freedom of the press should not be turned into license.

b : disregard for standards of personal conduct : licentiousness

4 : deviation from fact, form, or rule by an artist or writer for the sake of the effect gained

poetic license

—

licensed

play \ˈlī-sᵊn(t)st\ adjective

See license defined for English-language learners

See license defined for kids

Examples of license in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of license from the Web

Once the learning course is completed, students can receive their motorcycle license specification from the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

— adriana ramirez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Oconomowoc Harley-Davidson continues construction on in-house training course," 13 July 2018
Most states designate motor vehicle departments or license renewals as points of registration.

— matt stout, BostonGlobe.com, "Senate unanimously backs automatic voter registration; bill may reach governor soon," 13 July 2018
Drivers hired by District 303 have their commercial drivers’ license classes paid for by the district, Smith said.

— rafael guerrero, Elgin Courier-News, "Elgin-area school districts still looking for bus drivers but don't expect start-of-school problems," 12 July 2018
Until that occurs, the facility is operating on temporary licenses issued by the commission, and the most recent of those technically expired Monday.

— gregory tejeda, Post-Tribune, "Gary recycling facility gets 6-month permit extension; protests continue," 12 July 2018
Business licenses available include: growers, processors, dispensaries, testing facilities and transporters.

— kathleen gray, Detroit Free Press, "How Michigan's marijuana proposal differs from Colorado law," 12 July 2018
Drivers need a taxi license from the commission in order to work for Uber.

— NBC News, "Judge says Uber driver who booted lesbian couple should get license back," 11 July 2018
Regulators can deny or cancel licenses or tie up companies by launching tax, environmental or anti-monopoly investigations.

— joe macdonald, Anchorage Daily News, "China vows retaliation for latest US tariff threat," 11 July 2018
Daimler will receive a license to test its driverless vehicles on Beijing’s roads, the first such permit issued to a foreign carmaker.

— jamie condliffe, New York Times, "China Wants High-Tech Cars. German Automakers Are Eager to Help.," 11 July 2018

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.

The Shared Roots of license and licentious

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").

Origin and Etymology of license

Middle English, from Anglo-French licence, from Latin licentia, from licent-, licens, present participle of licēre to be permitted

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

license Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of license

freedom, liberty, license mean the power or condition of acting without compulsion. freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated.

- freedom of the press

liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion.

- the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty

license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom.

- freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

license

verb

variants: or less commonly licence

Definition of license

licensed also licenced; licensing also licencing

transitive verb

1 a : to issue a license to

b : to permit or authorize especially by formal license

2 : to give permission or consent to : allow

—

licensable

play \ˈlī-sᵊn(t)-sə-bəl\ adjective

—

licensor

play \ˈlī-sᵊn(t)-sər, ˌli-sᵊn-ˈsȯr\ or less commonly licenser play \ˈlī-sᵊn(t)-sər\ noun

See license defined for English-language learners

Examples of license in a Sentence

The restaurant has now been licensed to sell liquor.
a new drug licensed by the government
The company licensed its name to others.

Recent Examples of license from the Web

That’s a weak argument considering between 1918 and 1970, only 164 women gained Arkansas law licenses.

— meg kelly, Washington Post, "The most-read fact checks of 2018, so far," 3 July 2018
The other new hires are Garrett Stephenson as office coordinator, Caylan Hays as sync licensing assistant, Kyle Coker as copyright assistant and Emily Stephenson as director, global client services.

— lilly milman, Billboard, "Executive Turntable: Moves at Downtown Music and Lucky Bird Media," 29 June 2018
The company’s website suggests that it is licensed to ship prescriptions in 49 states.

— makena kelly, The Verge, "Amazon’s online pharmacy acquisition proves it’s serious about disrupting healthcare," 28 June 2018
He was also licensed as a private and commercial pilot.

— john sowell, idahostatesman, "Comedy routine that went awry led to pilot's death at Mountain Home airshow, report says," 26 June 2018
Investments below that mark could still be blocked if the administration determines that Chinese investors could obtain the technology through board seats, licensing agreements or other measures.

— bob davis, WSJ, "Trump Plans New Curbs on Chinese Investment, Tech Exports to China," 24 June 2018
In addition, Chinese drug companies raised more than $3.1 billion from equity markets last year, and billions more from licensing agreements.

— ed silverman, STAT, "Pharmalittle: Chinese companies poaching big pharma talent; a battle over generic Suboxone looms," 18 June 2018
Assets listed in the notice include content from more than 50 years of print publishing as well as trademarks and licensing agreements.

— david ng, latimes.com, "Penthouse Global Media sold for $11.2 million at auction to porn site owner," 8 June 2018
Barbieri, who was born in Brazil and became a naturalized U.S. citizen, faces up to 25 years in prison on two charges, conspiracy to smuggle weapons to a foreign country and violations of firearm export licensing laws.

— jay weaver, miamiherald, "After shipping AK-47s in water heaters, Brazilian weapons lord headed for slammer | Miami Herald," 15 May 2018

Origin and Etymology of license

see ¹license

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

license Synonyms

Synonyms

accredit, authorize, certify, commission, empower, enable, invest, qualify, vest, warrant;

Antonyms

disqualify;

Near Antonyms

ban, 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;

Related Words

approve, clear, credential, endorse (also indorse), OK (or okay), sanction;

affirm, confirm, validate;

inaugurate, induct, initiate, install, instate, swear in;

allow, let, permit;

enfranchise, entitle, privilege;

LICENSE Defined for English Language Learners

license

noun

Definition of license for English Language Learners

: 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

license

verb

Definition of license for English Language Learners

: 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

LICENSE Defined for Kids

license

noun li·cense

variants: or licence \ˈlī-sᵊns\

Definition of license for Students

1 : permission to do something granted especially by qualified authority

a license to sell food

2 : a paper, card, or tag showing legal permission

a driver's license

3 : freedom of action that is carried too far

Bitterly did she repent the license she had given her imagination.
—Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

license

verb

variants: also licence

Definition of license for Students

licensed also licenced; licensing also licencing

: to grant formal permission

Medical Dictionary

license

noun li·cense

variants: or chiefly British licence play \ˈlīs-ᵊn(t)s\

medical Definition of license

: a permission granted by competent authority to engage in a business or occupation or in an activity otherwise unlawful

a license to practice medicine

—

license

or chiefly British licence transitive verb licensed or chiefly British licenced; licensing or chiefly British licencing

Law Dictionary

license

noun li·cense \ ˈlīs-ᵊns \

legal Definition of license

1 a : a right or permission granted by a competent authority (as of a government or a business) to engage in some business or occupation, do some act, or engage in some transaction which would be unlawful without such right or permission; also : a document, plate, or tag evidencing a license granted

b : revocable authority or permission given solely to one having no possessory rights in a tract of land to do something on that land which would otherwise be unlawful or a trespass — compare easement, lease

c : a grant by the holder of a copyright or patent to another of any of the rights embodied in the copyright or patent short of an assignment of all rights

2 : a defense (as to trespass) that one's act was in accordance with a license granted

3 a : freedom that allows or is used with irresponsibility

b : disregard for standards of personal conduct : licentiousness

Origin and Etymology of license

Anglo-French, literally, permission, from Old French, from Latin licentia, from licent- licens, present participle of licēre to be permitted, be for sale