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
Even a workforce-minded state like Colorado, which established a separate residential electrician license (2 years), still requires the work to be supervised by a journeyman. — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 He was sentenced to 16 years in prison and released on license in February 2023, but was recalled in March 2023 after breaching the conditions of his license. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026
Verb
If the company uses a geolocation provider licensed in another state, Michigan must determine whether the provider can comply with Michigan's regulations. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 30 June 2026 That same year, the Olsens turned 18 and became the presidents of Dualstar, licensing their likeness to clothing, accessories, fragrances, home goods, and even their own Barbie dolls for Mattel. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 30 June 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
  • He was granted permission to travel to New York for the event.
    — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
  • What the Council's change adds is not access to green finance but permission to badge the whole enterprise, oil growth included, as transition.
    — Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of permission
Noun
  • Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units have invited local and foreign media to register for accreditation to cover the events.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
  • Several journalists from Turkish opposition-leaning media organizations were denied accreditation to cover the summit, sparking outrage from media rights groups.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of accreditation
Noun
  • Proponents of the authorization note that the $155 million investment arrives four years after a severe drought in the Sacramento Valley in 2022 had cost local communities hundreds of millions of dollars and roughly 1,500 jobs.
    — Lyanne Wang, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • For example, California’s prior authorization reform bill, SB 1120, passed in 2024 unanimously.
    — Miranda Yaver, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of authorization
Verb
  • Balogun, who saw his red-card suspension set aside enabling him to play in Monday night’s win-or-done match.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
  • The Federal Trade Commission and seven states sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster in September 2025, accusing the companies of enabling scalpers in the resale market.
    — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026
Definition of enable
Noun
  • That describes cases in which a broker enrolled a consumer in an ACA plan without their consent.
    — Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Earlier this month, the court struck down a Hawaii law that prohibits the carry of a firearm onto private property that is open to the public unless the property owner gives express consent.
    — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 30 June 2026
Definition of consent
Noun
  • Their fatal flaw, this time around, wasn’t walking away from the LeBron mandate.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
  • Brad’s accountable to me for it, and his team’s accountable to him, but the mandate here is to win.
    — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 6 July 2026
Definition of mandate
Noun
  • Better results at the plate have given the Phillies some latitude to make mistakes on defense.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 29 June 2026
  • While the effects of these pollutants are strongest at middle to high latitudes, variability is lowest near the tropics.
    — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 29 June 2026
Definition of latitude
Verb
  • She is expected in court throughout the week with her husband's parents, Robert and Kathryn Kirk, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 July 2026
  • The Lakers are trading center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks, in 2031 and 2032, people not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to The Times on Friday.
    — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of authorize

Browse Nearby Words

librettists
license
licensed
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Cite this Entry

“License.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/license. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on license

Nglish: Translation of license for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about license

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