Permittere

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To allow or give consent to do something ; to let go or release someone or something ; to assign or commit a task or responsibility
2. To grant authorization or approval for an action ; to relinquish control or possession ; to entrust duties or functions to another
3. To provide official or informal permission ; to set free or dismiss ; to delegate authority or responsibility to another individual or group

Etymology: Latin "permittere" was built from "per," meaning "through" or "away," and "mittere," meaning "to send" or "let go." Its core sense was "to send through" or "to let go," and from there it grew into "to allow" and "to yield." The Latin verb is the source of the English "permit," and its past participle "permissus" gave English "permission." The Latin verb "mittere" also lies behind a large family of English words such as "mission," "missile," "message," and "emit," all tied to the idea of sending. "Permittere" follows the same pattern: sending something through a gap, or letting it go, became the idea of letting someone do something. That is why the English verb carries both the sense of allowing and the sense of releasing or handing over.

Synonyms: permit, allow, authorize, consent, enable

Antonyms: forbid, prohibit, deny, disallow, refuse