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
Josef Adalian, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
He is arrested and the New York State Athletic Commission suspends his boxing license and strips him of his heavyweight title.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
An accomplished manager, producer, and licensed entertainment attorney, Witter specializes in representing writers, directors, actors, and multi-hyphenate talent across both film and television.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for license
Noun
And that has to lay out all of the issues on which the FCC is going to base any action with respect to a license.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
He is arrested and the New York State Athletic Commission suspends his boxing license and strips him of his heavyweight title.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
How the Sanctuary Fits In 101 Paws and Claws is a USDA- and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission–licensed 501(c)(3) nonprofit, operating as both a sanctuary and an educational facility.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
An accomplished manager, producer, and licensed entertainment attorney, Witter specializes in representing writers, directors, actors, and multi-hyphenate talent across both film and television.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for license
Recent Examples of Synonyms for license
Noun
-
In the list of permission credits for The Penguin Book of Oulipo, the number 14 is missing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Swift’s likeness has been used without permission in numerous AI fakes, including by Meta’s AI chatbots and in pornographic images that have circulated on the internet.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Morris Brown regained its accreditation in 2022.—
Jason Armesto,
AJC.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Morris Brown lost its accreditation in 2002 and regained it in 2022 after nearly two decades.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The ripples would be felt across the five boroughs, exacerbating our ongoing crisis of child poverty if TPS holders were to lose work authorization and no longer be able to provide for their children.—
Dr. Alister Martin,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The Mexican leader said that support from Washington should be limited to intelligence sharing, while prohibiting on-the-ground actions with foreign agents without authorization from the federal government.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The full expansion enables adults with incomes of up to 138% of the federal poverty level — amounting to $22,025 for a single person this year — to be eligible for Medicaid, the government program covering people with low incomes or disabilities.—
Phil Galewitz,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Marketing professor Jonah Berger emphasizes that understanding linguistics can enhance our communication skills, enabling us to fit in, persuade, engage, and positively influence others, especially with the aid of advanced language analysis tools and his SPEACC Framework.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Sheehy is seeking unanimous consent for legislation that would provide express approval for the construction of the ballroom.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The procedures noted that in some cases, outing students to parents could be dangerous to their health and well-being, and school officials should ask the students for consent to notify their parents of the support plan.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In Louisiana, where the mandate to draw a second, Democratic-leaning majority-Black House district led to Tuesday’s decision, the primary election for federal offices is set for May 16 — and early voting is scheduled to begin Saturday.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Currently, state governments primarily regulate insurance, but a federal mandate would be harder for companies to challenge.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Second, the exact latitude of these plates was determined by analyzing magnetic minerals trapped within ancient rocks.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
-
They are commonly associated with powerful auroral substorms that occur somewhat regularly, especially in high-latitude regions like Arctic Norway.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The searches were being conducted at daycares, businesses and some residences, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.—
Mark Vancleave,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, a group dedicated to hunters and fisherman, helped develop and pass the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act, which authorizes an annual $70 million investment through 2028 to fund research aimed at curbing the spread of the disease.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“License.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/license. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
