license 1 of 2

variants or licence

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
Its business license expired on June 7, 2024, according to Washington Department of Revenue records. James Powel, USA Today, 13 June 2025 Following reports of the rare-earth license concession, global equity markets ticked higher, echoing relief seen after the Geneva truce. Earl Carr, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Verb
Last year, Microsoft paid $650 million to hire Inflection boss Mustafa Suleyman and his top lieutenants, and to license the startup’s technology. Ars Staff, ArsTechnica, 13 June 2025 Ruoff Mortgage, which is licensed to originate loans in 45 states, has a multiyear partnership with NASCAR. Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for license
Recent Examples of Synonyms for license
Noun
  • Prior authorization varies by plan but often requires patients or their providers to get permission (also called precertification, preauthorization, or preapproval) before filling prescriptions, scheduling imaging, surgery, or an inpatient hospital stay, among other expenses.
    Lauren Sausser, Miami Herald, 16 June 2025
  • That information is anonymized, and participants have to give permission for their data to be included at all.
    Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 16 June 2025
Noun
  • The American delegation will be led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
  • The delegation hoped to get answers on whether a recent directive had been issued calling for additional enforcement actions outside of courthouses.
    Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • The government is also now appealing to the public to help find and deport people in the country without authorization.
    Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
  • UniCredit has built a surprise stake in Commerzbank of 28% since September through derivatives and has the European Central Bank's authorization to hold up to 29.9% in the lender.
    Chloe Taylor,Jenni Reid,Ganesh Rao,Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 11 June 2025
Verb
  • Info-tainment and digital implementation that could enable customers to learn more about the brand are planned for the Sease store expected to open in Abu Dhabi in February 2026.
    Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 16 June 2025
  • There are technologies available that would enable a full platform transition (hypervisor and storage) or a partial transition (keep the VMware hypervisor, but move to alternative storage).
    Bruce Kornfeld, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Noun
  • The planning commission meeting takes place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 11 at Fountain Valley City Hall (10200 Slater Ave.).
    Samantha Gowen, Oc Register, 6 June 2025
  • When the commission met this week, Hahn emphasized that the various uses of the property are seasonal.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • At the heart of gold's appeal is its freedom from government liabilities, market experts gathered at the annual Asia Pacific Precious Metals Conference told CNBC on Monday.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 17 June 2025
  • Today, as a wealth planning advisor, freedom for most is financial freedom.
    Gabriel Shahin, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • But even now, decades later, the U.S. has fewer missile interceptors deployed (44) than the treaty permitted (100).
    Matthew Bunn, The Conversation, 6 June 2025
  • Teams are permitted to have up to 35 players in their squad at the start of the tournament (and must have a minimum of 26).
    Will Jeanes, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • Make Promotions Default Milkman and Pink advocate for a shift in promotion practices, suggesting that organizations should make promotions the default rather than requiring individuals to opt-in.
    Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
  • Otherwise, Polk frequently received glowing feedback before and after her promotion to sergeant in 2021.
    Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 7 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“License.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/license. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

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