licencenoun
UK US license uk/ˈlaɪ.səns/us/ˈlaɪ.səns/A2 [ C ] an official document that gives you permission to own, do, or use something, usually after you have paid money and/or taken a test:
a dog licence
a driving licence (US driver's license)
a TV licence
[ S or U ] formal permission or freedom to do what you want:
As parents, they allowed their children very little licence.
[ + to infinitive ] He was given licence to reform the organization.
artistic/poetic licence
the freedom of artists, writers, etc. to change the facts of the real world when producing art
under licence
with special permission from the person or company who has created a product:
It's a German product, made under licence in British factories.
More examples
- I've always had a clean driving licence.
- They're coming down heavily on people for not paying their licence fees.
- He was copped for driving without a licence last week.
- He's got a couple of endorsements on his licence already.
- It would appear (that) nobody on board the aircraft actually had a licence to fly it.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Freedom to act
- (as) free as a bird idiom
- at will idiom
- autonomous
- autonomy
- be a law unto yourself idiom
- free hand
- free rein idiom
- free spirit
- free time
- free-form
- hold
- independent
- indie
- liberty
- me time
- no holds barred idiom
- no holds barred
- paddle your own canoe idiom
- permissive
- volunteer
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Allowing and permitting
Idiom(s)
be a licence to print money