permission

noun

per·​mis·​sion pər-ˈmi-shən 

1

: the act of permitting

2

: formal consent : authorization

Synonyms of permission

• consent
• authorization
• granting
• permit
• license

Examples of permission in a Sentence

They got permission from the city to build an apartment complex.

The teacher gave me her permission to go home early.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Knicks took an unusual path to finding Thibodeau’s replacement by requesting permission from at least five teams to speak to their current under-contract head coach. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 10 Dec. 2025

Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Roxane Gay Books, an imprint of Grove Atlantic, Inc. —Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025

In Cuba, rights exist only as permissions from the Communist Party. —Oscar Biscet, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025

Smith described a search warrant that obtained a court's permission to seize Mangione's belongings, including items in his backpack, and transfer them to the NYPD. —Tonya Simpson, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin permission-, permissio, from permittere

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for permission

• addition
• admission
• ambition
• attrition
• audition
• clinician
• cognition
• coition
• commission
• condition
• contrition
• dentition

Kids Definition

permission

noun

per·​mis·​sion pər-ˈmish-ən 

1

: the act of permitting

2

: the consent of a person in authority

has permission to leave