li•cense
Pronunciation: (lī'suns), [key]
— n., v., -censed, -cens•ing.
—n.
- formal permission from a governmental or other constituted authority to do something, as to carry on some business or profession.
- a certificate, tag, plate, etc., giving proof of such permission; official permit: a driver's license.
- permission to do or not to do something.
- intentional deviation from rule, convention, or fact, as for the sake of literary or artistic effect: poetic license.
- exceptional freedom allowed in a special situation.
- excessive or undue freedom or liberty.
- licentiousness.
- the legal right to use a patent owned by another.
—v.t.
- to grant authoritative permission or license to.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.