as in licentiousness
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Recent Examples of permissiveness
Biden surpassed Ronald Reagan in permissiveness for refugees’ suffering.
—
Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Some of this unprecedented editorial permissiveness can be attributed to the disappearance of a stable moral consensus to bind the ruling class to its subjects, who have come to develop the conviction that the Establishment has nothing good to say for itself.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The suggestion, in other words, is that the chatbot should err on the side of permissiveness in response to user prompts for erotic material.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
The federal government’s permissiveness toward this form of betting lets platforms operate nationwide without following state laws or tax rates—a potentially lucrative proposition that has gained venture capital backing while angering states and tribal groups.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 26 Nov. 2025
What then to make of Netflix’s permissiveness toward the theatrical experience this awards season?
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
However, Thalund and screenwriter Marianne Lentz imbue the set-up with a fresh 2025 perspective while attuning the material to a very particular Danish frequency in a society perpetually triangulating between child-centric educational approaches, permissiveness and conformity.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
With trigger-warning culture on the wane and a brutish permissiveness creeping back into society, corporate scolds have lost much of their power.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2025
That era of permissiveness is now over.
—Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Some of this unprecedented editorial permissiveness can be attributed to the disappearance of a stable moral consensus to bind the ruling class to its subjects, who have come to develop the conviction that the Establishment has nothing good to say for itself.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The suggestion, in other words, is that the chatbot should err on the side of permissiveness in response to user prompts for erotic material.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
The federal government’s permissiveness toward this form of betting lets platforms operate nationwide without following state laws or tax rates—a potentially lucrative proposition that has gained venture capital backing while angering states and tribal groups.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 26 Nov. 2025
What then to make of Netflix’s permissiveness toward the theatrical experience this awards season?
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
However, Thalund and screenwriter Marianne Lentz imbue the set-up with a fresh 2025 perspective while attuning the material to a very particular Danish frequency in a society perpetually triangulating between child-centric educational approaches, permissiveness and conformity.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
With trigger-warning culture on the wane and a brutish permissiveness creeping back into society, corporate scolds have lost much of their power.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2025
That era of permissiveness is now over.
—Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for permissiveness
Noun
-
This kind of depravity, licentiousness and polemical theatrics has no place on such a traditional and once wholesome presentation of the coming of a new year in our great nation and especially on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the greatest experiment in democracy and freedom in history.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Jan. 2026
-
This kind of depravity, licentiousness and polemical theatrics has no place on such a traditional and once-wholesome presentation of the coming of a new year, especially on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the greatest experiment in democracy and freedom in history.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This excessiveness can hinder critical knowledge building because of the sheer amount of information that can be accessed simultaneously at any time.—
Carmen Daniela Maier,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Adams does not stop for meaning, his early minimalist style causing the words to flow over you whether in somber reflection or the wildness of wild nights that do, indeed, stop for death.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Like American Prairie’s bison, their management also reflects a vision of restoring wildness to the landscape through private land conservation.—
The Conversation,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
In reality, good nutrition depends on allowing occasional indulgences and practicing sustainable habits consistently over time.—
Ezekiel J. Emanuel,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
-
For luxury travelers, vacation has quietly (and steadily) become less about indulgence and more about repair.—
Alexandra Kirkman,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Rather, the term has come to stand for a range of attributes—intemperance, ordinariness, outsiderness, likability, spontaneity—that aren’t especially related philosophically, either to authenticity or to one another.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
5 June 2026
-
The power to issue absolute pardons, explicitly stipulated in the founding document, has been exploited with bipartisan intemperance.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Stylish excesses are dialed back as cleaner camerawork, steadier editing and Farrell’s tender narration let the character breathe, blending sci-fi curiosity with classic detective-story stakes.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
And some creators, like Yeezy, see their right to print guns as an essential bulwark against the darkest excesses of America’s current government.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
She would have been floored by the casualness that has seeped into society today, from wearing pajamas on flights to sweatpants to dinner.—
Elliott Harrell,
Southern Living,
14 June 2026
-
Seydoux also approaches her beauty with a quintessentially French casualness.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Permissiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/permissiveness. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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