[Origin: 1325–75; ME licence < MF < ML licentia authorization, L: freedom, equiv. to licent- (s. of licéns, prp. of licére to be allowed) + -ia-ia; see -ence]
Official or legal permission to do or own a specified thing. See Synonyms at permission.
A document, plate, or tag that is issued as proof of official or legal permission: a driver's license.
Lack of due restraint; excessive freedom: "When liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near"(Will Durant).
Heedlessness for the precepts of proper behavior; licentiousness.
Deviation from normal rules, practices, or methods in order to achieve a certain end or effect.
Latitude of action, especially in behavior or speech. See Synonyms at freedom.
Lack of due restraint; excessive freedom: "When liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near"(Will Durant).
Heedlessness for the precepts of proper behavior; licentiousness.
tr.v.
li·censed, li·cens·ing, li·cens·es
To give or yield permission to or for.
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.
a legal document giving official permission to do something
2.
freedom to deviate deliberately from normally applicable rules or practices (especially in behavior or speech)
3.
excessive freedom; lack of due restraint; "when liberty becomes license dictatorship is near"- Will Durant; "the intolerable license with which the newspapers break...the rules of decorum"- Edmund Burke
4.
the act of giving a formal (usually written) authorization
verb
1.
authorize officially; "I am licensed to practice law in this state" [ant: decertify]
Main Entry: li·cense Variant: or chiefly Britishli·cence/'lIs-&n(t)s/ Function: noun : a permission granted
by competent authority to engage in a business or occupation or in an activity otherwise unlawful <a license to practice medicine> —licenseor chiefly Britishlicencetransitive verbli·censedor chiefly Britishli·cenced; li·cens·ingor chiefly Britishli·cenc·ing
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, LEASEc: 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
Il*lic"it\, a. [L. illicitus; pref. il- not + licitus, p. p. of licere to be allowed or permitted: cf. F. illicite. See In- not, and License.] Not permitted or allowed; prohibited; unlawful; as, illicit trade; illicit intercourse; illicit pleasure. One illicit . . . transaction always leads to another. --Burke. -- Il*lic"it*ly, adv. -- Il*lic"it*ness, n.
Lei"sure\ (l[=e]"zh[-u]r; 135), n. [OE. leisere, leiser, OF. leisir, F. loisir, orig., permission, fr. L. licere to be permitted. See License.]1. Freedom from occupation or business; vacant time; time free from employment. The desire of leisure is much more natural than of business and care. --Sir W. Temple. 2. Time at one's command, free from engagement; convenient opportunity; hence, convenience; ease. He sighed, and had no leisure more to say. --Dryden. At leisure. (a) Free from occupation; not busy. (b) In a leisurely manner; at a convenient time.
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