license 1 of 2

variants or licence
Definition of licensenext

license

2 of 2

verb

variants also licence

Synonym Chooser

How is the word license different from other nouns like it?

The words freedom and liberty are common synonyms of license. While all three words mean "the power or condition of acting without compulsion," license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom.

freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license

Where would freedom be a reasonable alternative to license?

Although the words freedom and license have much in common, 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

When is it sensible to use liberty instead of license?

The synonyms liberty and license are sometimes interchangeable, but liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion.

the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of license
Noun
Underly told reporters the agency is also aiming to add to the new database information about why an educator’s license was forfeited or taken away. Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 5 Nov. 2025 News that the license would change hands came last month as part of the Gucci-parent Kering’s deal to sell its beauty business to L’Oréal. Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
Netflix has approached SiriusXM to license its video podcasts as part of its major push into the space, an insider tells The Hollywood Reporter. Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025 Republicans have called on Underly to make the DPI's approach to investigating teacher licensing more transparent. Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for license
Recent Examples of Synonyms for license
Noun
  • Hunt 0234 is valid on private and public lands in the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula, but private only in the southern Lower Peninsula, as well as Fort Custer military lands, with permission.
    DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
  • At oral arguments, the justices expressed scepticism that the White House has the power to impose taxes on trade without the permission of Congress under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
    Jim Edwards, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Deciding to pause operations this year jeopardized Martin's accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission [HLC], an independent agency that certifies the quality of colleges and universities nationwide.
    Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 6 Jan. 2026
  • There are 34 organizations, including IEEE, that are ABET members and assist the nonprofit with setting policy, developing strategy, and conducting accreditation activities worldwide.
    Regina Samson, IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • However, attorneys representing businesses that sued the administration said using IEEPA in that way would require explicit authorization from Congress.
    Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The agency, which handles employment authorization renewals, said its current processing time is four months in 80% of cases.
    Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • An arbitration hearing enables the Royals and a player — including his agent and attorney — to have a panel of neutral arbitrators determine the value of the player’s contract for the coming season (in this case, 2026).
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Washington’s neutrality safeguarded our nation’s first quarter-millennium, enabling our ascent to superpower status and the preservation of liberty at home.
    Daniel Ross Goodman, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • While proponents of wearable technology in prisons and jails have described it as potentially lifesaving, privacy rights groups and even law enforcement officials say the devices can raise ethical and legal concerns and urge agencies to establish strict rules on data use, retention and consent.
    Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Other information about the winner is released only with the winner's consent.
    Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The pause grants the White House more time to argue its case against the mandate, which critics say could have strained federal resources, while supporters viewed it as essential to safeguarding food security for millions of low-income Americans.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
  • That 5-million-square-foot sorting and handling site temporarily closed midweek due to a cargo plane crash on location, already causing shipment delays ahead of the FAA mandate.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Strong geomagnetic storms can also spark bright, dynamic auroras, sometimes much farther into mid-latitudes than normal.
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Google’s plan is to launch the satellites into an orbit that would keep them in nearly continuous sunshine and receive up to eight times more solar power per year than a panel located on earth at mid-latitude.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The employee is authorized to carry a firearm, but is not a member of the Lawrence Police Department.
    Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Supervisors had not authorized them to wear riot gear, which was stashed in nearby vans, or carry munitions.
    Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“License.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/license. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on license

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!