permission

noun

per·​mis·​sion pər-ˈmi-shən 

1

: the act of permitting

2

: formal consent : authorization

Synonyms

• allowance
• authorization
• clearance
• concurrence
• consent
• granting
• green light
• leave
• license
• licence
• sanction
• sufferance
• warrant

Examples of permission in a Sentence

They got permission from the city to build an apartment complex.

The teacher gave me her permission to go home early.

Recent Examples on the Web

Alas for true love and territorial aspirations, on his way back to St. Petersburg for further orders and permission to marry, Rezanov got sick, again and again, and finally died after falling from his horse. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2025

Stafford, 37, had drawn considerable interest after the Rams granted his representatives permission to seek the potential financial parameters from another clubs if L.A. elected to peddle him. —Jay Paris, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

Excerpted by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. —Ana Calderone, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025

SpaceX now has permission to launch its Starship megarocket for the eighth time. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin permission-, permissio, from permittere

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for permission

• addition
• admission
• ambition
• attrition
• audition
• clinician
• cognition
• coition
• commission
• condition
• contrition
• dentition

Kids Definition

permission

noun

per·​mis·​sion pər-ˈmish-ən 

1

: the act of permitting

2

: the consent of a person in authority

has permission to leave