license
gb/lˈaɪsəns/ us/lˈaɪsəns/
A2
English
~ 1000
engedély, licenc, engedélyez, szabadosság, művészi szabadság
NOUN
A2
1
engedély
B1
Usage pattern:
a license to [do something]
You need a driver's license to legally operate a car.
Ahhoz, hogy valaki törvényesen vezethessen autót, jogosítványra van szüksége.
The restaurant displayed its business license near the entrance.
Az étterem a bejárat közelében kifüggesztette a működési engedélyét.
He applied for a fishing license before the trip.
Her marriage license was issued last week.
The company renewed its export license.
Learner examples
I have a driver's license.
Van jogosítványom.
She got her fishing license.
Megszerezte a horgászengedélyét.
They need a business license.
We paid for the license.
He showed his license to the police.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'license' (permission) with 'licence' in British spelling; both mean the same but differ in spelling based on region.
Meaning
Official permission document
Collocations
driver's license
|business license
|marriage license
|license renewal
|license fee
Synonyms
permit (Often used interchangeably, but 'permit' can refer to a smaller-scale or temporary permission.)
Antonyms
prohibition (Indicates that something is forbidden rather than officially allowed.)
Themes
law
|business
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A paper or card from the government or other authority that says you can do something.
An official document or card issued by an authority that grants permission to do or own something.
NOUN
B1
2
Usage pattern:
license to [do something]
The software company has a license to use the patented technology.
A szoftvercég licenccel rendelkezik a szabadalmaztatott technológia használatára.
He was given a license to carry a firearm.
Engedélyt kapott lőfegyver viselésére.
Without a license, you cannot run this type of business.
The TV station lost its broadcast license.
They received a license to build on the land.
Learner examples
I have a license to fish.
Van horgászengedélyem.
She got a license to sell food.
Engedélyt kapott élelmiszer árusítására.
He needs a license to carry a gun.
We got a license to use the music.
They lost their license to run the shop.
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'license' as a physical document with 'license' as the permission itself; in this sense, it is not always a physical object.
Meaning
Official permission or right
Collocations
license to operate
|license to sell
|license to carry
|license agreement
Synonyms
authorization (A more formal term often used in legal or bureaucratic contexts.)
Antonyms
restriction (Indicates a limit placed on actions rather than permission.)
Themes
law
|rights
|business
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The right to do something that is given by a person or group in power.
The legal or formal permission to do something, granted by an authority.
VERB
B2
3
engedélyez
B2
Usage pattern:
to license [someone/something] to [do something]
The government licensed several companies to provide internet services.
A kormány több cégnek is engedélyezte az internetszolgáltatás nyújtását.
They are licensed to sell alcoholic beverages.
Engedélyük van alkoholos italok árusítására.
The board decided not to license the new taxi operators.
Only licensed vendors can sell food here.
Learner examples
The city licensed her shop.
A város működési engedélyt adott az üzletének.
They licensed him to drive buses.
Engedélyezték neki, hogy buszokat vezessen.
The company is licensed to make toys.
We are licensed to sell drinks.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes mistakenly use 'license' instead of 'allow' in informal contexts where no official permission is involved.
Meaning
Grant official permission
Collocations
license a driver
|license a product
|license a company
|licensed premises
Synonyms
authorize ('Authorize' is more formal and may not always involve a legal document.)
Antonyms
ban (Means to officially forbid an action rather than allow it.)
Themes
law
|business
|work
Definition
To give someone permission from the government or another authority to do something.
To grant official permission to someone or something, usually through an official document or process.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
4
szabadosság
C1
Critics argued that freedom had turned into license.
A kritikusok szerint a szabadság szabadossággá fajult.
He took license with the facts when telling his story.
Amikor a történetét mesélte, önkényesen bánt a tényekkel.
Artistic license allows writers some freedom with historical details.
Learner examples
He used too much artistic license in the movie.
Túl sok művészi szabadságot engedett meg magának a filmben.
Freedom is good, but license can be bad.
A szabadság jó, de a szabadosság rossz lehet.
She took license with the truth.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'license' meaning permission with this figurative sense of excessive freedom; context is important.
Meaning
Excessive freedom without restraint
Collocations
moral license
|artistic license
Synonyms
liberty ('Liberty' is more neutral and positive; 'license' in this sense often has a negative connotation.)
Antonyms
restraint (Indicates holding back behavior rather than acting without limits.)
Themes
society
|ethics
|law
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Freedom to do what you want without caring about rules, which can be bad.
Excessive freedom that results in behavior without regard for rules or standards, often considered inappropriate or harmful.
Grammar
Dictionary form
license
IPA
GB/lˈaɪsəns/
US/lˈaɪsəns/
Syllables & stress
li - cense (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (li)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: license
- Variant Spelling: licence
- Plural: license, licenses
Verb
- Base: license
- Variant Spelling: licence
- 3rd Person Singular: licenses
- Present Participle: licensing
- Past: licensed
Word family
Forms
Related words
licensee
noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
unlicensed
adjective
Advanced or less common
licensor
noun
licensure
noun
Highlights
- Spelling Variant: licence Verb
- Spelling Variant: licence Noun
Expressions
license to kill
1/lˈaɪsəns tə kˈɪl/
fixed phrase
informal
Official right to kill legally
Permission from someone in power, like the government, to kill people without breaking the law.
Examples
- In spy movies, agents often have a license to kill.
- He joked that his new role gave him a license to kill.
artistic license
1/ɑɹtˈɪstɪk lˈaɪsəns/
idiom
Freedom to alter facts creatively
When artists change details for their art instead of keeping everything true to real life.
Examples
- The film took artistic license with the historical events.
- Artistic license allows novelists to create fictional characters in real settings.
artistic license
2/ɑɹtˈɪstɪk lˈaɪsəns/
idiom
freedom to change facts in art
The freedom for an artist or writer to change facts or details so that a story, picture, or film is more interesting or effective.
Examples
- The film takes a lot of artistic license with the true story.
- The painter used artistic license and changed the colors of the landscape.
- Readers complained that the author had gone too far with artistic license.
poetic license
1/poʊˈɛtɪk lˈaɪsəns/
fixed phrase
Freedom to break rules for art
Freedom for artists to change facts or rules to make their work better.
Examples
- The author used poetic license in changing the story's ending.
- The director took some poetic license with the historical events.
- Poetic license lets writers bend grammar rules.
- Writers often use poetic license to make their stories more exciting.