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

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
His driver’s license has been suspended, court documents show. Holly Yan, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026 Meanwhile, they’ve been approved for a liquor license. Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
Corderman said casinos could license some of the remaining 6,000 that are under the cap to the off-track betting sites. Bryan P. Sears, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2026 In most states, MCA lenders don't have to be licensed. Alina Selyukh, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for license
Recent Examples of Synonyms for license
Noun
  • On Monday, the deadline, Immigration and Customs Enforcement finally granted her permission to reenter.
    Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Warso got permission from the facility’s director for the demonstration, along with a reminder not to post flyers.
    Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Their discussion was punctuated by calls for quiet as hundreds of attendees milled around the convention hall to collect their accreditation.
    Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Weeks after the list was published, five pro-Palestinian groups launched a campaign to revoke the accreditation of 17 Canadian Jewish sleepaway camps.
    Jesse Brown, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The Associated Press reported that Kenyan law allows hospitals and morgues to dispose of unclaimed bodies after 14 days with court authorization.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Another employee followed the agent’s incorrect advice and exposed a large amount of company data to employees without authorization as a result.
    Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Efforts to enable reversible, two-way actuation have led to the development of systems such as semi-crystalline networks and liquid crystalline elastomers, which depend on structural alignment under applied stress.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Mar. 2026
  • His skills enable him to offer advanced, minimally invasive procedures such as endoscopic midface and ponytail facelifts, which aim to produce natural-looking outcomes while minimizing visible scarring.
    Jason Phillips, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The measure, part of the City Council’s consent calendar, was passed unanimously March 2.
    Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Before infants were enrolled in the AL16 study, their parents or guardians had to sign consent forms disclosing, among other things, the risks that clinical trial subjects would face.
    David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • But the past two years have also seen a drop-off in the labor force participation rate of mothers with young children, in part because return-to-office mandates have reduced pandemic-era flexibility.
    Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Season 2 springboards on Fisk’s strongarm rule and his mandate to clean up the streets of rebels via his brutish Anti-Vigilante Task Force, which rounds up people – echoing recent INS maneuvers – and shoves them into deplorable conditions and cages.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Tillis said Trump has latitude under the War Powers Act to conduct the military campaign, but that will soon shift.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Frazier said the ruling gives too much latitude for Democratic commissioners to force Republicans to appoint nominees that Democrats like.
    CBS News, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • But because of exceptions authorized by federal officials, few immigrants had their DNA collected.
    ABC News, ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Under the emergency order, the school must immediately cease operations and may not provide massage education services in Texas unless otherwise authorized.
    S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“License.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/license. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

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