license 1 of 2

noun

ˈlī-sᵊn(t)s How to pronounce license (audio)
variants or licence
Definition of licensenext
1
as in permission
the approval by someone in authority for the doing of something the company is seeking license to operate several more power plants in the state

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accreditation
the granting of power to perform various acts or duties a restaurant owner has to get a license to serve food and drink

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in authorization
the right to act or move freely military commanders on the ground must be granted considerable license, as wars cannot be micromanaged by people back in Washington

Synonyms & Similar Words

license

2 of 2

verb

variants also licence
as in to enable
to give official or legal power to a state statute licenses county sheriffs to choose their own deputies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word license different from other nouns like it?

The words freedom and liberty are common synonyms of license. While all three words mean "the power or condition of acting without compulsion," license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom.

freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license

Where would freedom be a reasonable alternative to license?

Although the words freedom and license have much in common, freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated.

freedom of the press

When is it sensible to use liberty instead of license?

The synonyms liberty and license are sometimes interchangeable, but liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion.

the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of license
Noun
The department counted just over 28,000 people giving up a Gem State license for somewhere else in 2025. — Idaho Statesman, 26 Aug. 2026 Lygo is hopeful that the broadcaster will remain intact beyond the term of its license. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
Her decision to license her likeness and rights to her books reflects the shifting conversation around AI licensing beyond intellectual property such as characters and catalogues into personalities themselves. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026 Spokesperson Stuart Heiser said Kennedy misspoke and may have meant to refer to a test taken by students to be licensed as doctors. — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for license
Recent Examples of Synonyms for license
  1. permission
  2. accreditation
  3. authorization
  4. enable
  5. consent
  6. mandate
  7. latitude
  8. authorize
Noun
  • The mini mart gave permission to The Original Goodie Shop bakery in Upper Arlington to use its logo on a signature cookie, with $1 from each one sold going to support Beaver's legal fees.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Tracey Bogan said in a January lawsuit that her horse Kodak suffered an eye injury at Reform Stables in Charlotte when Desmon Moore, who runs the boarding and equine event business, rode him without permission last Christmas.
    — Amber Gaudet Updated August 21, Charlotte Observer, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of permission
Noun
  • The firm holds Better Business Bureau accreditation with an A rating.
    — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Additional measures include an accreditation agreement aligned with ISO/IEC 17065, the international standard governing bodies that certify products, processes and services.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of accreditation
Noun
  • Alongside earnings back in May, Nvidia announced an $80 billion buyback authorization and a quarterly dividend increase to 25 cents per share from 1 cent.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The authorization vote does not mean educators will begin striking yet.
    — Zachary Fletcher, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of authorization
Verb
  • Such transformers are physically smaller and lighter than conventional transformers, have modular designs that enable easy upgrades or replacements of parts, and can perform as all-in-one power electronic devices by handling multiple tasks.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The goal is to enable folks to take one of Archer’s Midnight air taxis for a 10- to 20-minute point-to-point trip that, with traffic, could take two hours.
    — Mike Barnes for The Hollywood Reporter, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of enable
Noun
  • Idolizing the American founding, the Claremonters propose radical, counterrevolutionary action to restore government by consent, shatter the administrative state, and cultivate civic virtue.
    — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The doctor involved denied performing procedures without patients' consent.
    — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of consent
Noun
  • At Belmont Charter Elementary and Middle School in Philadelphia, Principal Aquila Waller says her school didn't wait for the state mandate.
    — Wakisha Bailey, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Fillette faced a fight when the council began considering a mandate.
    — Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of mandate
Noun
  • The creators pitched that show all over town, but the only offer came from a single executive at HBO Max who had the vision, the institutional latitude, and the creative conviction to champion an unconventional project.
    — Mike Schur, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Observed from lower latitudes, the orbital parade of satellites would peak in brightness at sunrise and sunset; toward the poles, the constellations would be bright and visible for most of the night during winter and the equinoxes.
    — Arielle Frommer, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of latitude
Verb
  • Several preservation and cultural heritage organization have sued to block the project, arguing that Congress must first authorize it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Specifically, StandardAero will now be authorized to work on Rolls-Royce T-56 turboprop engines used by the aircraft.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of authorize

Browse Nearby Words

librettists
license
licensed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“License.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/license. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on license

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about license

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All