license

license — noun

1. formal permission from an official body that allows a person or business to do s

1.nounB1
Definition

formal permission from an official body that allows a person or business to do something that would otherwise be illegal; also, the card, document, or tag that proves this permission has been granted.

Example

Felipe had to show his driver's license before the bank would cash the check.

collocation: driver's license

The owner of the shop applied for a new business license from the city office.

collocation: business license / apply for a license

Common collocations
  • driver's license
  • business license
  • liquor license
  • fishing license
  • medical license
  • software license
  • license plate
  • license fee
  • revoke a license
  • renew a license
  • apply for a license
  • hold a license
  • suspend a license
Synonyms
  • permit

    more general; can be temporary or for a single activity (parking permit vs. driver's license)

  • certification

    focuses on the proof of qualifications rather than permission from authority

  • authorization

    emphasizes the act of granting permission more than the physical document

Antonyms
  • ban

    a formal prohibition that removes permission

Grammar Patterns

a license to do something

a license for something

Usage Note

In British English, the noun is spelled licence and the verb is spelled license. In US English, both noun and verb are spelled license. The noun often appears with an article (a license, the license) and is frequently modified by the type of permission (driver's license, business license, liquor license).

Common Mistakes

I need to pass my license test next week.
I need to pass my driving test to get my license next week.
The license is the document you receive after passing a test; the test itself is not called a license.
She has license to practice medicine in this state.' (when meaning the document)
She has a license to practice medicine in this state.
When referring to the official document, license is a countable noun and needs an article.

2. the freedom to set aside normal rules, standards, or facts in a particular situa

2.nounC1
Definition

the freedom to set aside normal rules, standards, or facts in a particular situation — for example, changing details in a story for artistic effect, or allowing a child more room to behave freely than usual.

Example

Amihan used poetic license to change the ending of the true story for her novel.

fixed phrase: poetic license

The director took artistic license by setting the film in 1990 instead of 1980.

fixed phrase: artistic license / took artistic license

Common collocations
  • poetic license
  • artistic license
  • creative license
  • take license with
  • too much license
  • give someone license
Synonyms
  • leeway

    more informal; emphasizes room to maneuver within limits

  • latitude

    more formal; suggests freedom to choose how to act within a range

  • freedom

    broader in meaning; lacks the sense of deliberate deviation from rules

Antonyms
  • restriction

    a rule or limit that takes away freedom of action

Grammar Patterns

license to + noun

modifier + license

Usage Note

Often paired with a descriptive modifier such as poetic license, artistic license, or creative license. Used without a modifier, the word can carry a negative tone of excessive or careless freedom. Distinguish from sense 1 (OFFICIAL PERMISSION) where license refers to a concrete document or formal right.

Common Mistakes

The writer took license to describe the battle from a soldier's view.
The writer took poetic license to describe the battle from a soldier's view.
In this sense, license is typically paired with a modifier (poetic, artistic, creative) to make the meaning clear.

license — verb

Word family

  • licensed
    adjectiveB1
  • licensee
    nounC1
  • licensing
    nounB2
  • licensor
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

License, permit, certification, and authorization all involve official permission, but they differ in scope and emphasis. A license is typically a renewable document from a government body that allows you to carry out a regulated activity — driving, fishing, practicing medicine — and often requires meeting ongoing standards. A permit is usually narrower: it allows a specific one-time or short-term activity (a parking permit, a building permit) and is often easier to obtain. Certification focuses on proving that you meet a set of qualifications (a teaching certification), and the emphasis is on your competence rather than on the authority granting permission. Authorization is the broadest term: it can be formal or informal, written or spoken, and simply means someone in charge has said yes. For example, you need a license to drive a taxi in most cities, a permit to park in a loading zone, a certification to teach English as a second language, and a manager's authorization to approve a refund.

permit ↗certificationauthorization

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • license to operate
  • license to practice
  • license for use
  • under license from

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

License entered English in the 1300s through Old French licence, which came from Latin licentia, meaning 'freedom' or 'liberty'. The Latin root licēre meant 'to be allowed'. The US spelling license (instead of licence) became standard largely through Noah Webster's dictionaries in the early 1800s, who preferred the -se spelling because it matched the verb form.