Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
License - 8 dictionary results

li⋅cense

[lahy-suhns] noun, verb, -censed, -cens⋅ing.
–noun
1. formal permission from a governmental or other constituted authority to do something, as to carry on some business or profession.
2. a certificate, tag, plate, etc., giving proof of such permission; official permit: a driver's license.
3. permission to do or not to do something.
4. intentional deviation from rule, convention, or fact, as for the sake of literary or artistic effect: poetic license.
5. exceptional freedom allowed in a special situation.
6. excessive or undue freedom or liberty.
7. licentiousness.
8. the legal right to use a patent owned by another.
–verb (used with object)
9. to grant authoritative permission or license to.

Origin:
1325–75; ME licence < MF < ML licentia authorization, L: freedom, equiv. to licent- (s. of licēns, prp. of licēre to be allowed) + -ia -ia; see -ence


li⋅cens⋅a⋅ble, adjective
li⋅cense⋅less, adjective
li⋅cens⋅er; especially Law, li⋅cen⋅sor, noun
li·cense   (lī'səns)   
n.  
    1. Official or legal permission to do or own a specified thing. See Synonyms at permission.
    2. A document, plate, or tag that is issued as proof of official or legal permission: a driver's license.
    3. Lack of due restraint; excessive freedom: "When liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near" (Will Durant).
    4. Heedlessness for the precepts of proper behavior; licentiousness.
  1. Deviation from normal rules, practices, or methods in order to achieve a certain end or effect.
  2. Latitude of action, especially in behavior or speech. See Synonyms at freedom.
    1. Lack of due restraint; excessive freedom: "When liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near" (Will Durant).
    2. Heedlessness for the precepts of proper behavior; licentiousness.
tr.v.   li·censed, li·cens·ing, li·cens·es
  1. To give or yield permission to or for.
  2. To grant a license to or for; authorize. See Synonyms at authorize.

[Middle English licence, from Old French, from Medieval Latin licentia, authorization, from Latin, freedom, from licēns, licent-, present participle of licēre, to be permitted.]
li'cens·a·ble adj., li'cens·er, li'cen·sor' (-sən-sôr') n.

License

Li"cense\ (l[imac]"sens), n. [Written also licence.] [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.]

1. 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.

To have a license and a leave at London to dwell. --P. Plowman.

2. The document granting such permission. --Addison.

3. Excess of liberty; freedom abused, or used in contempt of law or decorum; disregard of law or propriety.

License they mean when they cry liberty. --Milton.

4. 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.

Syn: Leave; liberty; permission.

License

Li"cense\ (l[imac]"sens), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Licensed (l[imac]"senst); p. pr. & vb. n. Licensing.] To permit or authorize by license; to give license to; as, to license a man to preach. --Milton. Shak.
Language Translation for : License
Spanish: autorizar, dar permiso,
German: amtlich genehmigen,
Japanese: 許可する

Main Entry: li·cense
Pronunciation: 'lIs-&ns
Function: noun
Etymology: Anglo-French, literally, permission, from Old French, from Latin licentia, from licent- licens, present participle of licEre to be permitted, be for sale
1 a : a right or permission granted by a competent authority (as of a government or a business) to engage in some business or occupation, do some act, or engage in some transaction which would be unlawful without such right or permission; also : a document, plate, or tag evidencing a license granted b : revocable authority or permission given solely to one having no possessory rights in a tract of land to do something on that land which would otherwise be unlawful or a trespass —compare EASEMENT, LEASE c : a grant by the holder of a copyright or patent to another of any of the rights embodied in the copyright or patent short of an assignment of all rights
2 : a defense (as to trespass) that one's act was in accordance with a license granted
3 a : freedom that allows or is used with irresponsibility b : disregard for standards of personal conduct : LICENTIOUSNESS

Main Entry: license
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: li·censed; li·cens·ing
1 : to issue a license to
2 : to permit or authorize by a license

Main Entry: li·cense
Variant: or chiefly British li·cence /'lIs-&n(t)s/
Function: noun
: a permission grantedby competent authority to engage in a business or occupation or in an activity otherwise unlawful license to practice medicine> —license or chiefly British licence transitive verb li·censed or chiefly British li·cenced; li·cens·ing or chiefly British li·cenc·ing

license

in property law, permission to enter or use the property of another. There are three categories of license: bare licenses, contractual licenses, and licenses coupled with an interest. A bare license occurs when a person enters or uses the property of another with the express or implied permission of the owner or under circumstances that would provide a good defense against an action for trespass. For example, a person entering a gas station to ask for directions is a licensee and not a trespasser. Contractual license provides an express or implied permission to enter or use the property in exchange for some consideration. For example, the purchase of a movie ticket allows the ticket holder a license to enter the theatre at a particular time. Licenses that are acquired by contract normally include the right to use property that is protected by patent, copyright, or trademark. A license coupled with an interest arises when a person acquires the right to take possession of property located on someone else's land, as when a lender acquires the right to repossess an automobile that is located on private property after the borrower has defaulted on a loan.

Learn more about license with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Search another word or see License on Thesaurus | Reference