permitted

permitted — verb

1. the form of the verb 'permit' that shows something happened or was allowed in th

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

the form of the verb 'permit' that shows something happened or was allowed in the past — used both for the simple past tense and with auxiliary verbs like 'have' or 'be' to form perfect or passive structures.

Example

Wei permitted the children to play outside until dinner time.

permit + object + to-infinitive (simple past)

Smoking has not been permitted inside the terminal building since 2018.

passive: have/has been permitted

Common collocations
  • permitted + to-infinitive
  • be permitted to
  • not permitted
  • permitted by law
  • permitted access
Synonyms
  • allowed

    more common and less formal than 'permitted'; can be used in everyday situations

  • authorized

    stronger and more official — implies formal or written permission

  • let

    informal; takes an object without 'to' ('let someone do something')

Antonyms
  • forbidden

    stronger opposite — suggests an official rule against something

  • prohibited

    formal opposite; often used in legal or official contexts

Grammar Patterns

permit + object + to-infinitive (past)

be permitted + to-infinitive

permit + object (past)

Usage Note

The final consonant doubles: permit → permitted (not 'permited'). This applies in both British and American spelling because the stress falls on the second syllable of 'permit'.

Common Mistakes

The teacher permited the students to leave early.
The teacher permitted the students to leave early.
'permit' doubles the 't' before adding '-ed' because the second syllable is stressed.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Permitted' is the past-tense or past-participle form of 'permit' and carries a moderately formal tone — it often appears in written rules, official notices, or documents. 'Allowed' is the most frequent everyday word and works in both speech and writing ('Children were allowed to bring one guest'). 'Authorized' adds an official or legal stamp: only a person with authority can authorize something, and the result is usually documented. 'Let' is the most informal alternative and uses a different grammar pattern (no 'to' before the following verb: 'Her parents let her stay'). In passive constructions, only the first three are possible — you cannot say 'She was let to go'.

allowedauthorizedpermitted ↗let ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • permitted by law
  • where circumstances permitted
  • time permitting

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Permitted' is the past and participle form of 'permit', which entered English in the 15th century from Latin 'permittere' — 'per-' (through) plus 'mittere' (to send, let go). The idea was 'to let pass through', which evolved into 'to allow'.