permit
1 Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to grant permission; allow liberty to do something.
-
to afford opportunity or possibility.
Write when time permits.
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to allow or admit (usually followed byof ).
statements that permit of no denial.
noun
verb
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(tr) to grant permission to do something
you are permitted to smoke
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(tr) to consent to or tolerate
she will not permit him to come
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to allow the possibility (of)
the passage permits of two interpretations
his work permits him to relax nowadays
noun
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an official certificate or document granting authorization; licence
-
permission, esp written permission
Usage
What are other ways to say permit?
To permit is to allow someone to do something. How is permit different from allow and let? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- permittee noun
- permitter noun
- unpermitting adjective
Etymology
Origin of permit1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin permittere “to let go through, give leave,” equivalent to per- per- + mittere “to let or make (someone) go”; admit, commit, etc.
Origin of permit2
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; apparently by folk etymology from Spanish palometa palometa
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It does not, for example, permit wall hangings that don’t actually exist.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
Quiggin was eventually granted a temporary emergency entry permit, valid only for the dates of his travel, with the requirement to apply for a full visa in the future.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Under the EU’s emissions-trading system, or ETS, companies whose operations emit climate-changing carbon dioxide must pay for a permit for each metric ton they emit.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
A Times analysis of Los Angeles County building permit records shows two distinct realities: Interest in rebuilding is high and progress is slow.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Luther Rice never allowed it, but in two cases where the couples already had mailed invitations, he did permit weddings in his office.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
