licence

American  

[lahy-suhns] / ˈlaɪ səns /

noun

1. Chiefly British. a variant of license.

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licence British  

/ ˈlaɪsəns /

noun

1. a certificate, tag, document, etc, giving official permission to do something

2. formal permission or exemption

3. liberty of action or thought; freedom

4. intentional disregard of or deviation from conventional rules to achieve a certain effect

   poetic licence

5. excessive freedom

6. licentiousness

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Etymology

Origin of licence

C14: via Old French and Medieval Latin licentia permission, from Latin: freedom, from licet it is allowed

Example Sentences

In Myanmar, private vehicles are currently only allowed to operate on alternate days depending on whether their licence plate is an odd or even number.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Unable to work, she has lost her business and her driving licence was revoked because she is not safe to get behind the wheel.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

In Myanmar, prices at the petrol pump have jumped and the junta has instituted fuel-saving measures, including alternate day bans on private vehicles, based on odd- or even-numbered licence plates.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Mulakhil was told he would serve 15 years in prison and an extra 12 months on licence.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

I know my date of birth: my parents told me, it is recorded on my birth certificate, my driving licence, my passport, and in all sorts of official records.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton