variants:
or licence
Definition of license
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: permission to act
b
: freedom of action
2a
: 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
3a
: 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
license
verb
variants:
or less commonly licence
licensed also licenced; licensing also licencing
Definition of license (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: to issue a license to
b
: to permit or authorize especially by formal license
2
: to give permission or consent to : allow
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Test Your Vocabulary
Who Knew?
-
- What is a ruelle?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Spell words. Make bears.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
The first known use of license was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century