Li"cense (lī"sens), n. [Written also licence.] [F. licence, L. licentia, fr. licere to be permitted, prob. orig., to be left free to one; akin to linquere to leave. See Loan, and cf. Illicit, Leisure.] 1. Authority or liberty given to do or forbear any act; especially, a formal permission from the proper authorities to perform certain acts or to carry on a certain business, which without such permission would be illegal; a grant of permission; as, a license to preach, to practice medicine, to sell gunpowder or intoxicating liquors.

To have a license and a leave at London to dwell.

2. The document granting such permission. Addison.

3. Excess of liberty; freedom abused, or used in contempt of law or decorum; disregard of law or propriety.

License they mean when they cry liberty.

4. That deviation from strict fact, form, or rule, in which an artist or writer indulges, assuming that it will be permitted for the sake of the advantage or effect gained; as, poetic license; grammatical license, etc.

Syn. -- Leave; liberty; permission.

Li"cense (lī"sens), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Licensed (lī"senst); p. pr. & vb. n. Licensing.] To permit or authorize by license; to give license to; as, to license a man to preach. Milton. Shak.

• A legal document giving official permission to do something, a permit.
  
• The legal terms under which a person is allowed to use a product, especially software.
       Even if you bought this product, it does NOT belong to you. You have a license to use it under the terms of this agreement, until you breach this agreement.
  
• Freedom to deviate deliberately from normally applicable rules or practices (especially in behavior or speech)
  
• Excessive freedom; lack of due restraint.
       When liberty becomes license dictatorship is near, Will Durant
  
• The act of giving a formal (usually written) authorization.
       It was decided to license Wikipedia under the GFDL.
  
• Authorize officially.
       I am licensed to practice law in this state.