license

Fetched 2026-11-04 (live).

Synonyms: licensee, licence, licente

Antonyms: licensee, licence, licente

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Noun

1. A legal document giving official permission to do something; a permit.
2. The legal terms under which a person is allowed to use a product, especially software.
3. Freedom to deviate deliberately from normally applicable rules or practices (especially in behaviour or speech).
4. Excessive freedom; lack of due restraint.
5. Ellipsis of driver's license.
   • In order to enter the building, I need to show my license.

Verb

1. To authorize officially.
   • I am licensed to practice law in this state.
2. (applied to a piece of intellectual property) To give formal authorization to use.
   • It was decided to license Wikipedia under the GFDL.
   • The filmmakers licensed several iconic 80's songs for the soundtrack.
3. To give formal authorization to use.
   • It was decided to license Wikipedia under the GFDL.
4. To acquire authorization to use, usually in exchange for compensation.
   • The filmmakers licensed several iconic 80's songs for the soundtrack.
5. To give permission or freedom to; accept.
6. To permit (as grammatically correct).
   • No English adverbs have mandatory complements, and most don't even license optional ones.

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wiktionary) · cached copy, not a rewrite.