permissive

adjective

per·​mis·​sive pər-ˈmi-siv 

1

archaic : granted on sufferance : tolerated

2

a

: granting or tending to grant permission : tolerant

b

: deficient in firmness or control : indulgent, lax

3

: allowing discretion : optional

reduced the permissive retirement age from 65 to 62

4

: supporting growth or genetic replication (as of a virus)

permissive host cells

permissively adverb

permissiveness noun

Examples of permissive in a Sentence

Some states have more permissive laws than others.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of that might be due to the Rangers’ permissive defensive environment. —Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025

Meta may view the decision as an opportunity to jettison a policy targeted by conservatives and curry favor with Trump, while shifting the company toward a permissive stance on speech that Zuckerberg has previously avowed, the experts said. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 7 Jan. 2025

Many people oscillate between strict boundaries and permissive accommodation, hoping to find the right balance. —Nik Ershov, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025

Yet the feeling among analysts remains that the new administration will be more permissive toward major transactions, even if regulators are more than willing to parrot some of the president’s bash-the-media talking points. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English permyssyf, from Middle French permissif, from Latin permissus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

permissive

adjective

per·​mis·​sive pər-ˈmis-iv 

1

: granting or tending to grant permission : allowing

2

: not forbidden : allowable

permissively adverb

permissiveness noun

Medical Definition

permissive

adjective

per·​mis·​sive pər-ˈmis-iv 

: supporting growth or genetic replication (as of a virus)

permissive temperatures

permissive monkey cells

Legal Definition

permissive

adjective

per·​mis·​sive

1

: based on or having permission

permissive occupancy

a permissive user of the vehicle

2

: granting permission or discretion (as to the court)

a permissive statute

3

: not compulsory: as

a

: allowed or made under a standard, rule, or provision that permits discretion or an option see also permissive intervention at intervention, permissive presumption at presumption compare compulsory

b

: allowed under modern rules of civil procedure although not arising from the same transaction or occurrence as the one at issue in the original claim

a permissive counterclaim

see also permissive joinder at joinder

permissively adverb

permissiveness noun