Definition of license
1a : permission to actb : 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 licenseb : a document, plate, or tag evidencing a license grantedc : 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
Explore Merriam-Webster
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.
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
First Known Use: 14th century
Synonym Discussion of license
Other Business Terms
license
licence
Definition of license
licensed
alsolicenced
;licensing
alsolicencing
transitive verb
1a : to issue a license tob : to permit or authorize especially by formal license
2 : to give permission or consent to : allow
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.
Origin and Etymology of license
see 1license
First Known Use: 15th century
LICENSE Defined for English Language Learners
license
playDefinition 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
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
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
licence
Definition of license for Students
licensed
alsolicenced
;licensing
alsolicencing
: to grant formal permission
Medical Dictionary
license
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 Britishlicence
transitive verblicensed
or chiefly Britishlicenced
;licensing
or chiefly Britishlicencing
Law Dictionary
license
Legal Definition of license
1a : 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
3a : 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
license
Legal Definition of license
licensed
licensing
1 : to issue a license to
2 : to permit or authorize by a license
Learn More about license
-
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
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up license? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!