Meaning of “licence” in the English Dictionary

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"licence" in English

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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

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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

(Definition of “licence” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"licence" in Business English

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licencenoun

uk /ˈlaɪsəns/ us UK US license

› [ C ] LAW, GOVERNMENT an official document from the government, court, etc. that gives you permission to do, have, or own something:

a driving/driver's/pilot's licence The bank will insist you produce a driving licence or passport as a form of ID.

a business/operating licence

a gun/firearms licence

If there is any delay, the licence holder can be fined.

grant/issue a licence The council granted a licence that allowed the premises to stay open until 3 am.

have/hold/get a licence

own/apply for/renew a licence

refuse/suspend/take away a licence

a licence expires/runs out

Compare

permit noun

› [ C ] LAW, COMMERCE, IT permission given by a company to produce or use something that they have created or that belongs to them:

a software/publishing licence

licence for sth A licence for PC network use costs £900.

licence to do sth a licence to publish the book throughout the world

› [ U ] permission or freedom to do what you want:

licence to do sth

He thought his position allowed him licence to be rude.

licence to print money usually disapproving

› a situation in which a person or organization is given the permission or opportunity to become very rich without much effort:

Healthcare should not be seen as a licence to print money for the private sector.

under licence

› LAW, COMMERCE with permission from the person or company who has created a product:

It can appoint a foreign company to manufacture its product under licence.

Meaning of “licence” in the English Dictionary

"licence" in English

licencenoun

Idiom(s)

"licence" in Business English

licencenoun

See also