- [countable] an official document that shows that permission has been given to do, own or use something
- The driver did not hold a valid licence.
- to get/obtain/have a licence
- to grant/issue a licence
- James lost his licence for six months (= had his licence taken away by the police as a punishment).
- Her licence was revoked by the court.
- licence for something a licence for the software
- licence to do something You need a licence to fish in this river.
- without a licence He was caught driving a car without a licence.
- Is there a licence fee?
- a licence holder (= a person who has been given a licence)
- a licence agreement
Extra Examples- He's had his licence taken away.
- She gained her private pilot's licence.
- The software comes with a single-user licence.
- The club was refused a music licence.
- The company has won the licence to run trains from the south coast to London.
- The government is currently granting no operating licences to foreign companies.
- The licence expires at the end of the year.
- The weapons were exported under a special export licence.
- You have to have a licence to sell these fireworks.
- a licence for software manufacture
- a licence from the Performing Rights Society
- He did not have a gun licence.
- The premises did not have an entertainment licence.
- Who holds the licence for these premises?
- Your local authority should be able to issue you with a licence.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- valid
- full
- special
- …
- have
- hold
- buy
- …
- expire
- run out
- fee
- holder
- number
- …
- in a/the licence
- under a/the licence
- under licence
- …
- the holder of a licence
- [uncountable, singular] licence (to do something) (formal) freedom to do or say whatever you want, often something bad or unacceptable
- Lack of punishment seems to give youngsters licence to break the law.
- [uncountable] (formal) freedom to behave in a way that is not considered sexually moral
Word Originlate Middle English: via Old French from Latin licentia ‘freedom, sexually immoral behaviour’ (in medieval Latin ‘authority, permission’), from licere ‘be lawful or permitted’.
Idioms
See licence in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishartistic/poetic licence
- the freedom of artists or writers to change facts in order to make a story, painting, etc. more interesting or beautifulTopics Literature and writingc2
a licence to print money
- (disapproving) used to describe a business that makes a lot of money with little effort
under licence
- (of a product) made with the permission of a company or an organization
- They are Italian trains, but they will be built in Britain under licence.
- The vaccine is manufactured under licence locally.
Check pronunciation:
licence