variants
or licence
1
as in permission
the approval by someone in authority for the doing of something
the company is seeking license to operate several more power plants in the state
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accreditation
the granting of power to perform various acts or duties
a restaurant owner has to get a license to serve food and drink
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in authorization
the right to act or move freely
military commanders on the ground must be granted considerable license, as wars cannot be micromanaged by people back in Washington
Synonyms & Similar Words
variants
also licence
as in to enable
to give official or legal power to
a state statute licenses county sheriffs to choose their own deputies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Javier Hasse, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
And though the government can threaten the licenses of news networks, the internet is more difficult to tame.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
The event is licensed and all-ages.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for license
Noun
Osak estimates that fewer than 5% of those exits were tied to M&A, with most occurring through closures and license inactivations.
—Javier Hasse, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
And though the government can threaten the licenses of news networks, the internet is more difficult to tame.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Verb
Founded in 1994 and licensed by the state Agency for Health Care Administration, the firm maintains offices in Miramar and West Palm Beach.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
The event is licensed and all-ages.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 19 Jan. 2026
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
-
In his role, Inboden oversees UT’s academic portfolio and mission, as well as enrollment management, curriculum, faculty recruitment and accreditation.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Our immediate priorities are to begin the healing journey while continuing our focused preparation for our upcoming accreditation reaffirmation visit in two weeks.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There is a legal authorization for the use of force, which is what makes this so different than the use of the military force against Venezuela or Greenland or Cuba or wherever the president wants to take us to war next.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Notably, the company has a $1 billion buyback authorization with no end date.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The design was inspired by moviemaking techniques that switch point of view, enabling the cameras to adapt in real-time by automatically framing a group, an individual speaker or placing meeting participants in a grid.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
TeraWave aims to split its fleet into 5,280 low-orbit units and 128 high-capacity backbone satellites in medium Earth orbit, enabling both global coverage and massive data throughput.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Status will be granted for no more than 24 months unless mutual consent is given for an extension.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Except where prohibited, acceptance of the Prize constitutes winner’s consent to Sponsor’s use of winner’s name, likeness, photograph, voice, opinions, biographical information, hometown, and state for promotional purposes in any media without further payment of consideration.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Government procurement is supposed to break that stalemate by creating predictable demand, but the funding hasn't kept pace with the mandates.—
Ryan Craggs,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Amid return to work mandates, Manhattan’s luxury real estate market is on the rise among financial services, legal, and technology companies.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Photographer Greg Gage sent us these stunning views of the northern lights captured from Deming, New Mexico, at 32° latitude!—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Auroras typically remain confined to higher latitudes, and southern states are not as well-positioned for visibility.—
Julianna Duennes Russ,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The program, which opened applications Thursday, authorizes refundable tax credits, often referred to as school vouchers, to reimburse families for private school tuition, tutoring, testing, transportation and curricula.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Jan. 2026
-
False statements in applications filed with the state’s unemployment insurance benefits program led the California Employment Development Department to authorize Bank of America to mail debit cards to the football players.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“License.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/license. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
