as in flexible
often disapproving
giving people a lot of freedom or too much freedom to do what they want to do
permissive parents Some states have more permissive laws than others.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 permissive
Like Pham, Quintenz supports a permissive approach to sports prediction markets, with oversight enabled by the federal CFTC rather than their legality being determined by individual states.
—
Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 14 Aug. 2025
People have passed the point of exhaustion with permissive policies that too often make the well-being of the public at large a secondary concern at best.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
Texas has historically been more permissive of autonomous vehicle testing and operations on public roads than have other states.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 8 Aug. 2025
In Arizona, with permissive laws.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2018
See All Example Sentences for permissive
Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 14 Aug. 2025
People have passed the point of exhaustion with permissive policies that too often make the well-being of the public at large a secondary concern at best.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
Texas has historically been more permissive of autonomous vehicle testing and operations on public roads than have other states.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 8 Aug. 2025
In Arizona, with permissive laws.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2018
See All Example Sentences for permissive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for permissive
Adjective
-
For Rainero, that kind of flexible thinking was part of the original design and the Cartier way.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The set includes two bundles of hibiscus-like flowers, made with flexible branches and crafted with plastic and faux silk that’s built to withstand intense UV rays and outdoor elements.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
While fake goods have exchanged hands in informal markets since ancient times, the growth of online marketplaces has contributed to the rise in counterfeits because of how easy online shopping and selling have become.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,Paige Tortorelli,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Humberto Leon, of Opening Ceremony, acted as something of a business mentor; Jennifer Sabel, a casting director and longtime friend, provided sporadic, informal investments—a couple thousand dollars here and there, with no strings attached.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Many of Joaquin's accusers decried his state-level plea deal with the California Attorney General's Office as too lenient.—
Luc Cohen,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Since then, attorneys and judges have overseen multiple lenient plea deals and case dismissals, while local prosecutors reviewed hundreds of active and resolved cases that Tran investigated.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The game remains accessible to new players and to fans who might not get what this role playing stuff means.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
It is tucked into the park, due east of the City Park Tennis Courts, and northwest of Duck Lake along an interior road accessible from 23rd Avenue.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Those of us who went to school back in the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s didn’t have this kind of problem, even though guns were readily available back then and gun laws were much more lax than the gun laws of today.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 Sep. 2025
-
But a major investigation from CNBC published this morning shows that this growth has stemmed in part from lax requirements for third-party sellers.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The resulting pollen is as pliable as Play-Doh, says Shahrudin Ibrahim, a research fellow in Cho’s lab who helped to develop the technique.—
Sandy Ong,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Some might go so far as to suggest that Ufotable’s work approaches the pinnacle of what animation can achieve this decade, tapping into that infinite potential of cinema’s most pliable medium (your mileage will vary).—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Permissive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/permissive. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share