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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

2 entries under this word

License

Lĭ'cense, n.

noun

n. [Written also licence.] [Fr. licence, Pr. & Sp. licencia, It. licenzia, Lat. licentia, from licere, to be permitted.]

Sense 1. Authority or liberty given to do or forbear any act; especially, a formal permission from the proper authorities to perform certain acts; a grant of permission; as, a license to preach, to practice medicine, to sell gunpowder, and the like.

Sense 2. The written document by which a permission is conferred.

Sense 3. Excess of liberty; exorbitant freedom; freedom abused, or used in contempt of law or decorum.

License they mean when they cry liberty. Milton.

Sense 4. (Fine Arts.) Voluntary and deliberate deviation from established rules; as, poetic license.

Synonyms—Leave; liberty; permission. See LEAVE.

Lĭ'cense, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. LICENSED (lī'senst); p. pr. & vb. n. LICENSING.]

  1. To permit by grant of authority; to remove from legal restraint by a grant of permission; to authorize to act in a particular character; as, to license a man to preach, to practice medicine, to sell gunpowder, and the like.
  2. Hence, to tolerate; to permit.

He grumbles a little now and then, but his are licensed murmurings. W. Scott. 3. To dismiss. [Obs.] Wotton.