Definition of: license

(lī′səns) noun
1. Authority or liberty granted to do or omit an act; specifically, in law, a permission, as for manufacturing a patented article or for the sale of intoxicants.
2. A written or printed certificate of a legal permit.
3. Unrestrained liberty of action; abuse of privilege; disregard of propriety.
4. Allowable deviation from established rule; variation from a standard for a purpose: poetic license. See synonyms under LIBERTY, PERMISSION, RIGHT.
—v.t. ·censed, ·cens·ing To grant a license to or for; give permission to; authorize. See synonyms under PERMIT. Also li′cence. [<OF licence <L licentia <licens, licentis, ppr. of licere be permitted]
—li′cens·a·ble adjective
—li′cens·er or li′cenc·er or Law li′cen·sor noun