[go: up one dir, main page]

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
Policy changes regarding noncitizen commercial licenses and English-language proficiency enforcement could remove more than 400,000 commercial drivers from the market over the next three years, according to J.B. Hunt, one of the largest trucking companies. Nilesh Christopher Los Angeles Times, Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2025 In addition to the annual license required by the state, Fox Point also requires a separate license for each rental. Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 25 Dec. 2025
Verb
California law requires owners of medical corporations to be licensed in medicine or a related field. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026 In August 2024, Google re-hired both founders and licensed some of Character. Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for license
Recent Examples of Synonyms for license
Noun
  • Hunt 0234 is valid on private and public lands in the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula, but private only in the southern Lower Peninsula, as well as Fort Custer military lands, with permission.
    DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
  • At oral arguments, the justices expressed scepticism that the White House has the power to impose taxes on trade without the permission of Congress under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
    Jim Edwards, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Deciding to pause operations this year jeopardized Martin's accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission [HLC], an independent agency that certifies the quality of colleges and universities nationwide.
    Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 6 Jan. 2026
  • There are 34 organizations, including IEEE, that are ABET members and assist the nonprofit with setting policy, developing strategy, and conducting accreditation activities worldwide.
    Regina Samson, IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • There is a legal authorization for the use of force, which is what makes this so different than the use of the military force against Venezuela or Greenland or Cuba or wherever the president wants to take us to war next.
    CBS News, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Notably, the company has a $1 billion buyback authorization with no end date.
    TipRanks.com Staff, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • An arbitration hearing enables the Royals and a player — including his agent and attorney — to have a panel of neutral arbitrators determine the value of the player’s contract for the coming season (in this case, 2026).
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Washington’s neutrality safeguarded our nation’s first quarter-millennium, enabling our ascent to superpower status and the preservation of liberty at home.
    Daniel Ross Goodman, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • While proponents of wearable technology in prisons and jails have described it as potentially lifesaving, privacy rights groups and even law enforcement officials say the devices can raise ethical and legal concerns and urge agencies to establish strict rules on data use, retention and consent.
    Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Other information about the winner is released only with the winner's consent.
    Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Since the mandate, neural tube defects have dramatically declined in almost every single ethnic population except for Latinos, according to Jaffery.
    Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado January 12, Sacbee.com, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Corporate and government leaders regularly reissue return-to-office mandates, citing performance concerns.
    Justin Harlan, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • But lawmakers have not formally declared war since World War II, granting presidents broad latitude to act unilaterally.
    Joey Cappelletti, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Still, when considering NOAA's aurora view line, the northern lights are most visible in higher-latitude regions.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The employee is authorized to carry a firearm, but is not a member of the Lawrence Police Department.
    Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Supervisors had not authorized them to wear riot gear, which was stashed in nearby vans, or carry munitions.
    Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“License.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/license. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on license

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!