[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.
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.
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.
Li*cen"ti*ate\ (l[-i]*s[e^]n"sh[i^]*[asl]t or -sh[asl]t; 106), n. [LL. licentiatus, fr. licentiare to allow to do anything, fr. L. licentia license. See License, n.]1. One who has a license to exercise a profession; as, a licentiate in medicine or theology. The college of physicians, in July, 1687, published an edict, requiring all the fellows, candidates, and licentiates, to give gratuitous advice to the neighboring poor. --Johnson. 2. A friar authorized to receive confessions and grant absolution in all places, independently of the local clergy. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 3. One who acts without restraint, or takes a liberty, as if having a license therefor. [Obs.] --Bp. Hall. 4. On the continent of Europe, a university degree intermediate between that of bachelor and that of doctor.
Li*cen"tious\ (-sh[u^]s), a. [L. licentiosus: cf. F. licencieux. See License.]1. Characterized by license; passing due bounds; excessive; abusive of freedom; wantonly offensive; as, a licentious press. A wit that no licentious pertness knows. --Savage. 2. Unrestrained by law or morality; lawless; immoral; dissolute; lewd; lascivious; as, a licentious man; a licentious life. "Licentious wickedness." --Shak. Syn: Unrestrained; uncurbed; uncontrolled; unruly; riotous; ungovernable; wanton; profligate; dissolute; lax; loose; sensual; impure; unchaste; lascivious; immoral. -- Li*cen"tious*ly, adv. -- Li*cen"tious*ness, n.
Lic"it\ (l[i^]s"[i^]t), a. [L. licitus permitted, lawful, from licere: cf. F. licite. See License.] Lawful. "Licit establishments." --Carlyle. -- Lic"it*ly, adv. -- Lic"it*ness, n.
Loan\, n. [OE. lone, lane, AS. l[=a]n, l[ae]n, fr. le['o]n to lend; akin to D. leen loan, fief, G. lehen fief, Icel. l[=a]n, G. leihen to lend, OHG. l[=i]han, Icel. lj[=i], Goth. leihwan, L. linquere to leave, Gr. ?, Skr. ric. ? Cf. Delinquent, Eclipse, Eleven, Ellipse, Lend, License, Relic.]1. The act of lending; a lending; permission to use; as, the loan of a book, money, services. 2. That which one lends or borrows, esp. a sum of money lent at interest; as, he repaid the loan. Loan office. (a) An office at which loans are negotiated, or at which the accounts of loans are kept, and the interest paid to the lender. (b) A pawnbroker's shop.
Po*et"ic\, Poetical \Po*et"ic*al\, a. [L. po["e]ticus, Gr. ?: cf. F. po['e]tiquee.]1. Of or pertaining to poetry; suitable for poetry, or for writing poetry; as, poetic talent, theme, work, sentiments. --Shak. 2. Expressed in metrical form; exhibiting the imaginative or the rhythmical quality of poetry; as, a poetical composition; poetical prose. Poetic license. See License, n., 4.
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