permission
Americannoun
-
permissions
plural
-
authorization granted to do something; formal consent.
to ask permission to leave the room.
-
the act of permitting.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of permission
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin permissiōn-, stem of permissiō “a yielding, giving leave,” from permiss(us) “given leave” (past participle of permittere “to let go through, give leave”; see permit 1) + -iō -ion
Explanation
If you give someone approval to do something, you are giving them permission. Think of the permission slip your parents sign to let you go on a field trip––they are approving your going on the trip. Permission has the same Latin root word as permit. They both come from permittere, which means to allow to go or pass through. Permission can be given in writing, it can be given orally, or it can be assumed or unspoken––by passing the box of cookies around the room you're giving everyone tacit permission to help themselves.
Vocabulary lists containing permission
Send a Message: Mit and Miss
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Titan's Curse
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The War of the Wall" by Toni Cade Bambara
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Around the same time, the sanctions bill named after late Sen. Lindsey Graham was making its way through Congress and threatened to make it even harder for Polar to get permission to transact with Novatek.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
Investigators said at the time that more than 25 songs had been played or distributed online without permission from Eminem or the group that owns his music, Capitol Labels Group.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Starting in 1917, the state became one of the first to require trucking companies to get regulatory permission to enter the delivery market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
They eventually received permission to carry out their experiment on-site at Anthropic’s offices using an internal, unreleased Claude Science research model.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
Tourists weren’t allowed in the airspace around the mountain, but Dorothy and Keith were both geologists; they knew the right people to talk to for permission.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
Agents need a “distinct identity and permissions that are separate from the user,” Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s executive vice president of Windows and Devices, said during the launch event.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
Muse engineers said the bot had exploited a permissions setting on his Mac computer he didn’t realize was applicable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
The more agents a company puts into production, the greater the danger of what BCG calls agent sprawl, with duplicate agents, conflicting permissions and unclear ownership among other issues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Under these new guidelines, any contributor, including freelancers, living outside the three specified cities would require NOC permissions to cover a story.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
The war seemed fought with as much paper as bullets, what with the letters and the passes and permissions piled on the table, orders received and recorded, recordings of conferences noted down.
From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
