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Meaning & use

green light for

phrase·Everyday

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UK/ˌɡriːn ˈlaɪt fɔː/
US/ˌɡriːn ˈlaɪt fɔːr/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phrase

    official or informal permission for something to happen or proceed

    Grammar: Used after verbs like give, get, receive: give the green light for a project.

    Patterns

    • give the green light for something
    • get the green light for something
    • the green light for something

    The city council gave the green light for the new park to be built.

    We finally got the green light for the concert after months of planning.

    The boss gave the green light for us to hire two more people.

  2. phrasefixed phrase

    a signal that something is allowed to start or continue

    Grammar: Often used with verbs like wait for, need, or be given.

    Patterns

    • wait for the green light for something
    • need the green light for something
    • be given the green light for something

    We're waiting for the green light for the road repairs to begin.

    The team needs the green light for the trip before we can book tickets.

    She was given the green light for the surgery next week.

Common combinations

give the green light for
The manager gave the green light for the new schedule.
get the green light for
They got the green light for the expansion plan.
wait for the green light for
We are waiting for the green light for the event.
receive the green light for
The project received the green light for funding.

Synonyms and how they differ

approval
Approval is the general noun for agreement; green light for is more specific and suggests a signal to start.
go-ahead
Go-ahead is very similar but slightly more informal and often used alone: give the go-ahead.
permission
Permission is the state of being allowed; green light for focuses on the moment of being allowed to proceed.

Opposites

red light forban on

Word family

green-light verb
To give official approval to something: The board green-lighted the plan.

Commonly confused: green light for or green light?

green light for vs green light

Green light is the noun phrase itself; green light for adds 'for' to show what is approved.

Practice

The committee finally gave the ______ for the new library.

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