Overlicensed

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having been granted more licenses or permissions than necessary or appropriate
2. Describes a situation where excessive authorizations have been issued beyond what is needed
3. Characterized by the provision of too many official permissions or licenses, often beyond reasonable limits

Etymology: "Overlicensed" is a plain formation: the prefix "over-", meaning excessive or too much, attached to "licensed," the past participle of "license." Its sense is literal enough that the word needs little decoding. Something overlicensed has been granted too many permits, too broad a permission, or too many approvals for its own good. The base is "license," which came into English from Old French "license," itself from Latin "licentia," meaning freedom or liberty, and in Latin the word could carry a sense of unrestrained permission that later English tempered into formal authorization. The "over-" prefix is old English, used productively for centuries to mark excess, as in "overcooked" or "overpaid," so "overlicensed" follows a familiar pattern rather than a special coinage.

Synonyms: excessively licensed, overpermitted

Antonyms: underlicensed, insufficiently licensed