Synonyms of permissive

permissive

adjective

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.

Related Words

• flexible
• informal
• lenient
• accessible
• lax
• pliable
• pliant
• easygoing
• casual
• unaffected
• soft
• affable
• carefree
• low-pressure
• mellow
• nonchalant
• lackadaisical
• unconcerned
• breezy
• familiar
• unperturbed
• approachable
• untroubled
• laid-back
• warm
• happy-go-lucky
• devil-may-care
• unworried
• unfussy
• homey
• unflappable
• companionable
• imperturbable
• amicable
• neighborly
• unshakable
• dégagé
• genial
• cordial
• nerveless
• warmhearted
• comradely
• hearty
• hail-fellow-well-met

Dissimilar Words

• strict
• rigid
• formal
• decorous
• anxious
• ceremonious
• bothered
• nervous
• worried
• distressed
• tense
• jumpy
• uptight
• jittery
• skittish
• high-strung

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of permissive

Their rare testimonies, backed by aid and conflict data, depict permissive rules of engagement, rising Palestinian deaths — including children — and commanders signaling Israel is entrenching, not winding down, its Gaza campaign. — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026

California has been too permissive about curriculum adoption, allowing widely varying and often unproven materials across districts. — Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 27 May 2026

The revenues from the $1,500 permits have been a boon for Rwanda, but have also pushed travelers into less expensive, more permissive markets such as Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. — Adam Erace, Fortune, 24 May 2026

The Swedish Film Institute’s Cinemateket, meanwhile, hosted Svenska Synden – a retrospective examining how Swedish cinema’s permissive approach to nudity and sexuality became an international phenomenon that alarmed censors around the world. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 May 2026