license 1 of 2

variants or licence
Definition of licensenext

license

2 of 2

verb

variants also licence

Synonym Chooser

How is the word license different from other nouns like it?

The words freedom and liberty are common synonyms of license. While all three words mean "the power or condition of acting without compulsion," license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom.

freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license

Where would freedom be a reasonable alternative to license?

Although the words freedom and license have much in common, freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated.

freedom of the press

When is it sensible to use liberty instead of license?

The synonyms liberty and license are sometimes interchangeable, but liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion.

the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of license
Noun
The Illinois Department of Public Health has revoked the license of Albany Care psychiatric facility in Evanston, home to about 170 people with mental health and substance abuse issues. Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026 Each business granted a license will pay a 15% tax on receipts from fantasy contests. Ben Szalinski, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Verb
Bastien is still licensed to work in Florida, the Sentinel reported in May, though the Board of Nursing is aware of the Missouri incident. Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2026 Kenya’s plan draws on similar models in the US and the UK, where government services generate revenue by licensing access to detailed geospatial datasets to businesses. Vivianne Wandera, semafor.com, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for license
Recent Examples of Synonyms for license
Noun
  • Cassidy could be the favorite to land either job if he’s ever granted permission from the Golden Knights to interview with them.
    Jesse Granger, New York Times, 16 June 2026
  • The Supreme Court is being asked to weigh in on a legal battle over a Texas law requiring app stores to implement age verification for users and require parental permission for minors to download apps after a federal appeals court allowed the law to go into effect.
    Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 15 June 2026
Noun
  • And the Department of Health and Human Services took grant programs related to safety, community engagement and parents attending college, plus foreign medical school accreditation.
    Alia Wong, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
  • The university holds official accreditation as an Academic Center of Excellence in Cyber Security Research and Education from the National Cyber Security Center.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 17 June 2026
Noun
  • His alleged crime was preaching without the authorization of the Church of England, the colony’s official church.
    Michael Luo, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
  • The pilot's project manager says Dominion's water court filing seeks authorization to harvest approximately 111 acre-feet of water annually.
    Olivia Young, CBS News, 13 June 2026
Verb
  • If approved by voters this fall, the noncitizen voting measure would enable the council to pass an ordinance allowing noncitizen residents of Los Angeles to vote in citywide and Los Angeles Unified school board elections.
    Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
  • The malware infected the Network Driver Interface, which streamlined communications between network protocol drivers enabling service such as TCP/IP network adapter drivers.
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 17 June 2026
Noun
  • What do you guys think this movie is adding to the conversation about consent and violence against women?
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
  • During the coronavirus pandemic, Sarah watched policies that seemed designed for urbanites arrive in her rural town without the consent of residents or evidence of their local efficacy.
    Scott Warren, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026
Noun
  • However researchers say there is not a process to evaluate whether schools are fully adhering to the mandate.
    Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
  • Public health specialists have warned that military members may suffer unnecessary complications from the flu after the vaccination mandate was ended and fear that severe cases will continue to climb in subsequent flu seasons if preventive vaccinations aren't given to those most at risk.
    Luis Martinez, ABC News, 18 June 2026
Noun
  • Assembly Bill 46, which cleared the Senate late last month, gives judges wider latitude to deny diversion petitions and limits the types of crimes for which a defendant can be granted diversion.
    James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
  • Verne picked a spot near Fort Myers, on the opposite side of the Floridian peninsula to Cape Canaveral, but at a very similar latitude.
    Neil Oseman, Space.com, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • The groups argued that the site of the garden runs afoul of federal laws and has not been authorized by Congress.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 17 June 2026
  • The administration has argued that the War Powers Resolution of 1973 — which says the president must remove armed forces from hostilities if Congress has not authorized the war — is unconstitutional.
    Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 16 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“License.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/license. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.

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