licence

 
Pronunciation: /ˈlʌɪs(ə)ns/
(US license)

noun

  • 1a permit from an authority to own or use something, do a particular thing, or carry on a trade (especially in alcoholic drink): a gun licence [as modifier]: a television licence fee
  • [mass noun] formal or official permission to do something: a subsidiary company manufactured cranes under licence from a Norwegian firm
  • 2 [mass noun] freedom to behave as one wishes, especially in a way which results in excessive or unacceptable behaviour: the government was criticized for giving the army too much licence
  • a writer’s or artist’s freedom to deviate from fact, or from conventions such as grammar, for effect: artistic licence
  • licentiousness.
  • (a licence to do something) a reason or excuse to do something unacceptable: police say that the lenient sentence is a licence to assault

Phrases

licence to print money

a very lucrative commercial activity, regarded as requiring little effort: people see music publishing as a licence to print money

Origin:

late Middle English: via Old French from Latin licentia 'freedom, licentiousness' (in medieval Latin 'authority, permission'), from licere 'be lawful or permitted'

Note that in British English licence is the correct spelling for the noun, and is also an acceptable variant spelling of the verb. In US English both noun and verb are spelled license.

Do not confuse licence with license. Licence is a noun which means 'a permit to do something' ( a driving licence), whereas license is a verb meaning 'give a permit to someone; allow something' ( the loggers are licensed to cut mahogany trees). In American English, both the noun and the verb are spelled license.