permissive

adjective

Definition of permissivenext
as in flexible
often disapproving giving people a lot of freedom or too much freedom to do what they want to do permissive parents Some states have more permissive laws than others.

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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 permissive Yet another study found that students at schools with restrictive phone policies did not have significantly better mental health or academic outcomes than students at more permissive schools. — Kavin Bendre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 What’s ironic is that the PG-13 standards for a movie were less permissive than the standards and practices for a television show at the time. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026 Here agents were built to find software exploits and placed in flawed or deliberately permissive environments. — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026 Operators instead would be instructed to follow local and state laws, which are often far more permissive. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for permissive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for permissive
  1. flexible
  2. informal
  3. lenient
  4. accessible
  5. lax
  6. pliable
  7. pliant
Adjective
  • Goldener Hirsch has a residence rental program that is extremely family-friendly with flexible sleeping arrangements, welcome kits for the kiddos, and babysitting services.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • As Chinese politics regress, such flexible problem solving is giving way to rigid orthodoxy.
    — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of flexible
Adjective
  • Gun homicides mostly affect South Africa’s poorest communities in townships and informal settlements made up of shacks and small homes on the edges of big cities.
    — Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Gun homicides mostly affect South Africa's poorest communities in townships and informal settlements made up of shacks and small homes on the edges of many big cities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of informal
Adjective
  • The same day, Cornell issued a second statement, welcoming the prosecutor’s announcement and pushing back on claims of lenient discipline.
    — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Supporters of Proposition 132 say lenient criminal penalties are among the reasons.
    — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of lenient
Adjective
  • Accessibility Very good—two street-level entrances have ramps in place and are wheelchair-accessible, and lifts access all floors of the hotel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of accessible
Adjective
  • There were issues with the ship’s design and engineering, particularly with the thrusters, but the report concluded that the biggest cause was lax NASA oversight of Boeing, a lack of data transparency with vital personnel and poor decision-making.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2026
  • During the housing crisis, rising rates directly exposed the lax lending standards by banks as borrowers using floating-rate debt increasingly couldn't pay.
    — Sean Conlon, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of lax
Adjective
  • The rug is pliable enough to fit in the washing machine, which means a pad comes in handy for keeping it stable underfoot.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Place 6 tortillas on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes, or until the tortillas are very pliable and easy to fold.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of pliable
Adjective
  • The world went in, and pliant, playful interpretations flowed out.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Fernández’s theory is that Mark must have told the women the code to his safe in his pliant stupor.
    — Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of pliant

Browse Nearby Words

permissions
permissive
permissiveness
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Cite this Entry

“Permissive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/permissive. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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