Licence

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Formal permission granted by an authority to undertake an activity ; a physical document proving authorization to engage in a specific action ; the power or freedom to behave or perform an act without restriction
2. The legal right given to a person or organization to carry out certain tasks ; an official certificate or card that serves as evidence of this right ; liberty to act according to one’s own judgment within permitted limits
3. Permission issued by a competent body allowing particular conduct ; a tangible proof of such consent, often a card or certificate ; discretionary allowance to carry out actions within defined bounds

Etymology: The noun "licence" carries a faint trace of a Latin verb meaning "to be allowed." Its Latin ancestor, "licentia," came from the present participle "licens" of "licere," which meant "to be permitted." The same root gave English words that now seem to point in different directions. A person who is "licensed" has been granted permission, while "licentious" describes someone who has taken more freedom than they should, and both grew from the idea of being allowed to act. The word reached English in Middle English through Old French, which had already reshaped the Latin "licentia" into "licence." Its verb cousin, "license," came from Old French "licencier," which drew on the Medieval Latin "licentiō." That lineage also gave English the word "licentiate," a person formally granted permission to practise a profession.

Synonyms: permit, authorization, certificate, warrant, consent

Antonyms: prohibition, ban, restriction, forbiddance, denial