Licensed

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈlaɪsənst/

Definitions

1. Having official permission to do something granted by an authority ; possessing a formal certification or qualification to practice a profession or activity
2. Recognized by an authoritative body as allowed to operate or perform a task ; having met required standards to earn professional credentials
3. Granted lawful approval to carry out specific actions ; holding credentials that prove completion of necessary qualifications

Etymology: The verb "to license" and its past form "licensed" trace back to Latin "licere," meaning "to be allowed" or "to be permitted," so the core idea of the word has always been permission rather than paperwork. Latin "licentia," the noun built from the same root, meant freedom or liberty to act, and it passed through Old French into Middle English as "licence." That noun carried a second sense from its Latin roots: unchecked freedom that could slide into excess, which is why the related word "licentious" ended up describing behavior that ignored moral restraint. The verb came later and by a different route. Middle English borrowed it from Old French "licencer," which in turn came from Medieval Latin "licentiare," a term from the academic and clerical world meaning to give someone formal authority to practise. That is why the modern sense of officially authorising someone, as with a doctor or driver, sits so naturally on top of the older meaning of simply being allowed.

Synonyms: authorized, certified, permitted, validated, approved

Antonyms: unlicensed, prohibited, forbidden, unauthorized, illicit