permissive

[ per-mis-iv ]
See synonyms for: permissivepermissiveness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. habitually or characteristically accepting or tolerant of something, as social behavior or linguistic usage, that others might disapprove or forbid.

  2. granting or denoting permission: a permissive nod.

  1. left to one's choice; not mandatory: This legislation is permissive and merely authorizes counties to levy a tax if in the county's best interest.

  2. Genetics. (of a cell) permitting replication of a strand of DNA that could be lethal, as a viral segment or mutant gene.

Origin of permissive

1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French permissif “granting permission”; see origin at permission, -ive

Other words for permissive

Other words from permissive

  • per·mis·sive·ly, adverb
  • per·mis·sive·ness, noun
  • non·per·mis·sive, adjective
  • non·per·mis·sive·ly, adverb
  • un·per·mis·sive, adjective

Words Nearby permissive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use permissive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for permissive

permissive

/ (pəˈmɪsɪv) /


adjective
  1. tolerant; lenient: permissive parents

  2. indulgent in matters of sex: a permissive society

  1. granting permission

  2. archaic not obligatory

Derived forms of permissive

  • permissively, adverb
  • permissiveness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012