License

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: li=cense

CIDE DICTIONARY

License, n. [F. licence, L. licentia, fr. licere to be permitted, prob. orig., to be left free to one; akin to linquere to leave. See Loan, and cf. Illicit, Leisure.].

•  Authority or liberty given to do or forbear any act; especially, a formal permission from the proper authorities to perform certain acts or to carry on a certain business, which without such permission would be illegal; a grant of permission; as, a license to preach, to practice medicine, to sell gunpowder or intoxicating liquors.  [1913 Webster]

  "To have a license and a leave at London to dwell."  [1913 Webster]
•  The document granting such permission.  Addison.  [1913 Webster]
•  Excess of liberty; freedom abused, or used in contempt of law or decorum; disregard of law or propriety.  [1913 Webster]

  "License they mean when they cry liberty."  [1913 Webster]
•  That deviation from strict fact, form, or rule, in which an artist or writer indulges, assuming that it will be permitted for the sake of the advantage or effect gained; as, poetic license; grammatical license, etc.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Leave; liberty; permission.

License, v. t. 

 To permit or authorize by license; to give license to; as, to license a man to preach.  Milton. Shak.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

License, v.tr. (also licence)
1 grant a licence to (a person).
2 authorize the use of (premises) for a certain purpose, esp. the sale and consumption of alcoholic liquor.
3 authorize the publication of (a book etc.) or the performance of (a play).
4 archaic allow.

Idiom

licensed victualler see VICTUALLER.

Derivative

licensable adj. licenser n. licensor n.

Etymology

ME f. LICENCE: -se on analogy of the verbs PRACTISE, PROPHESY, perh. after ADVISE, where the sound differs from the corresp. noun

THESAURUS

License

Lehrfreiheit, OK, academic freedom, accredit, admission, agency, agentship, allow, allowance, anarchy, approve, assign, assignment, assumption, authority, authorization, authorize, blank check, brevet, building permit, care, carte blanche, certificate, certify, chaos, charge, charter, commission, commissioning, commit, commitment, confusion, consent, consign, consignment, constitutional freedom, copyright, cure, debauchery, debauchment, delegate, delegated authority, delegation, deputation, depute, deputize, detach, detail, devolute, devolution, devolve, devolve upon, devolvement, diplomatic immunity, discharge, disobedience, dispensation, dissipation, dissoluteness, document, embassy, empower, empowerment, enable, enfranchise, entitle, entrust, entrusting, entrustment, errand, exception, executorship, exemption, exequatur, fabulous formless darkness, factorship, familiarity, fastness, favor, fishing license, foul-up, franchise, freedom, freedom from fear, freedom from want, freedom of worship, full power, gallantry, give in charge, give official sanction, give power, grant, hassle, hubris, hunting license, immunity, imposition, imprimatur, indiscipline, indulgence, insubordination, interregnum, irresponsibility, jurisdiction, lawlessness, laxity, leave, legalize, legation, legislative immunity, legitimize, let, liberties, libertinage, libertinism, liberty, liberty abused, licentiousness, lieutenancy, loose, looseness, mandate, misrule, mission, mix-up, morass, muddle, mutiny, nihil obstat, office, okay, patent, permission, permission to enter, permit, plenipotentiary power, post, power of attorney, power to act, power vacuum, presumption, presumptuousness, privilege, procuration, profligacy, proxy, purview, rakishness, rampant will, ratify, regency, regentship, relaxation, release, responsibility, run, sanction, screw-up, send out, slackness, snafu, special favor, special permission, suffer, task, the Four Freedoms, the run of, ticket, ticket of admission, transfer, trust, trusteeship, unaccountability, unbridledness, uncontrol, undue liberty, unrestraint, validate, venery, vicarious authority, vouchsafement, waiver, warrant, wenching, whoring, wildness, willfulness

ROGET THESAURUS

License

Laxity

N laxity, laxness, looseness, slackness, toleration, freedom, anarchy, interregnum, relaxation, loosening, remission, dead letter, brutum fulmen, misrule, license, licentiousness, insubordination, lynch law, nihilism, reign of violence, dethronement, deposition, usurpation, abdication, lax, loose, slack, remiss, weak, relaxed, licensed, reinless, unbridled, anarchical, unauthorized, adespotic.

Freedom

N freedom, liberty, independence, license, facility, scope, range, latitude, play, free play, full play, free scope, full scope, free stage and no favor, swing, full swing, elbowroom, margin, rope, wide berth, Liberty Hall, franchise, denization, free man, freed man, livery man, denizen, autonomy, self-government, liberalism, free trade, noninterference, Monroe Doctrine, immunity, exemption, emancipation, enfranchisement, affranchisement, free land, freehold, allodium, frankalmoigne, mortmain, bushwhacker, freelance, free thinker, free trader, independent, free, free as air, out of harness, independent, at large, loose, scot-free, left alone, left to oneself, in full swing, uncaught, unconstrained, unbuttoned, unconfined, unrestrained, unchecked, unprevented, unhindered, unobstructed, unbound, uncontrolled, untrammeled, unsubject, ungoverned, unenslaved, unenthralled, unchained, unshackled, unfettered, unreined, unbridled, uncurbed, unmuzzled, unrestricted, unlimited, unmitigated, unconditional, absolute, discretionary, unassailed, unforced, uncompelled, unbiassed, spontaneous, free and easy, at ease, at one's ease, degage, quite at home, wanton, rampant, irrepressible, unvanquished, exempt, freed, freeborn, autonomous, freehold, allodial, gratis, eleutherian, unclaimed, going a begging, freely, ad libitum, ubi libertas ibi patria, free white and twenty-one.

Permission

N permission, leave, allowance, sufferance, tolerance, toleration, liberty, law, license, concession, grace, indulgence, favor, dispensation, exemption, release, connivance, vouchsafement, authorization, warranty, accordance, admission, permit, warrant, brevet, precept, sanction, authority, firman, hukm, pass, passport, furlough, license, carte blanche, ticket of leave, grant, charter, patent, letters patent, permitting, permissive, indulgent, permitted, patent, chartered, permissible, allowable, lawful, legitimate, legal, legalized, licit, unforbid, unforbidden, unconditional, by leave, with leave, on leave, speciali gratia, under favor of, pace, ad libitum, by all means, yes, avec permissin, brevet d'invention, permission, leave, allowance, sufferance, tolerance, toleration, liberty, law, license, concession, grace, indulgence, favor, dispensation, exemption, release, connivance, vouchsafement, authorization, warranty, accordance, admission, permit, warrant, brevet, precept, sanction, authority, firman, hukm, pass, passport, furlough, license, carte blanche, ticket of leave, grant, charter, patent, letters patent, permitting, permissive, indulgent, permitted, patent, chartered, permissible, allowable, lawful, legitimate, legal, legalized, licit, unforbid, unforbidden, unconditional, by leave, with leave, on leave, speciali gratia, under favor of, pace, ad libitum, by all means, yes, avec permissin, brevet d'invention.

VB permit, give permission, give power, let, allow, admit, suffer, bear with, tolerate, recognize, concede, accord, vouchsafe, favor, humor, gratify, indulge, stretch a point, wink at, connive at, shut one's eyes to, grant, empower, charter, enfranchise, privilege, confer a privilege, license, authorize, warrant, sanction, intrust, give carte blanche, give the reins to, give scope to, leave alone, leave it to one, leave the door open, open the door to, open the flood gates, give a loose to, let off, absolve, release, exonerate, dispense with, ask permission, beg permission, request permission, ask leave, beg leave, request leave.

Dueness

N due, dueness, right, privilege, prerogative, prescription, title, claim, pretension, demand, birthright, immunity, license, liberty, franchise, vested interest, vested right, sanction, authority, warranty, charter, warrant, constitution, tenure, bond, claimant, appellant, plaintiff, having a right to, entitled to, claiming, deserving, meriting, worthy of, privileged, allowed, sanctioned, warranted, authorized, ordained, prescribed, constitutional, chartered, enfranchised, prescriptive, presumptive, absolute, indefeasible, unalienable, inalienable, imprescriptible, inviolable, unimpeachable, unchallenged, sacrosanct, due to, merited, deserved, condign, richly deserved, allowable, lawful, licit, legitimate, legal, legalized, square, unexceptionable, right, equitable, due, en r gle, fit, fitting, correct, proper, meet, befitting, becoming, seemly, decorous, creditable, up to the mark, right as a trivet, just the thing, quite the thing, selon les r gles, duly, ex officio, de jure, by right, by divine right, jure divino, Dei gratia, in the name of, civis Romanus sum, +a chaque saint sa chandelle.

Exemption

N exemption, absence, exception, immunity, privilege, release, exempt from, devoid of, without, unpossessed of, unblest with, immune from, not having, unpossessed, untenanted, without an owner, unobtained, unacquired, exemption, freedom, irresponsibility, immunity, liberty, license, release, exoneration, excuse, dispensation, absolution, franchise, renunciation, discharge, exculpation, exempt, free, immune, at liberty, scot-free, released, unbound, unencumbered, irresponsible, unaccountable, not answerable, excusable, bonis nocet quisquis pepercerit malis.

VB not have, be without, excuse, be exempt, exempt, release, acquit, discharge, quitclaim, remise, remit, free, set at liberty, let off, pass over, spare, excuse, dispense with, give dispensation, license, stretch a point, absolve, exonerate, save the necessity.