License
/ˈlaɪ.səns/noun
Official permission from an authority to do something or to own, use, or operate something.
Did you know?License comes through Latin *licentia*, meaning “freedom” or “unrestrained permission,” from *licēre* (“to be permitted”), a root tied to the idea of something being allowed to happen rather than blocked by power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leik-
“to leave, let go, or allow”
Latin
Latin
licēre
“to be permitted, to be allowable”
Latin
Latin
licentia
“freedom, permission, unrestrained behavior”
Old French
Old French
licence
“permission, freedom, authorization”
Middle English
English
licence
“formal permission or authorization”
Modern English
English
license
“official permission granted by authority”