license
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A legal document giving official permission to do something.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
lysuhnsSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈlaɪsəns
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A legal document giving official permission to do something
Excessive freedom; lack of due restraint
“When liberty becomes license dictatorship is near"- Will Durant.”
Freedom to deviate deliberately from normally applicable rules or practices (especially in behavior or speech)
A document issued to a specific person by a government authority, permitting this person to drive one or more classes of motor vehicle on public roads and highways, often used as an identification document.
The legal terms under which a person is allowed to use a product, especially software.
verb
Authorize officially
“I am licensed to practice law in this state.”
To give formal authorization to use.
To acquire authorization to use, usually in exchange for compensation.
transitive
To give permission or freedom to; accept.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A legal document giving official permission to do something
Used this way, license is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a legal use: the wording is institutional and carries a defined meaning in law rather than a loose everyday one.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Law/legal
- Government/politics
- Academic writing
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Excessivenoun
“When liberty becomes license dictatorship is near"- Will Durant.”
Authorizeverb
“I am licensed to practice law in this state.”
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A plate mounted on the front and back of car and bearing the car's registration number.
A fee paid to the government for the privilege of being licensed to do something (as selling liquor or practicing medicine).
A nurse who has enough training to be licensed by a state to provide routine care for the sick.
Contract giving someone the legal right to use a patent or trademark.
A fee paid to the government for the privilege of being licensed to do something (as selling liquor or practicing medicine).
A fee paid to the government for the privilege of being licensed to do something (as selling liquor or practicing medicine).
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
Someone to whom a license is granted.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “license” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary from meanings, examples and other prompts.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.