Meaning & use
license uk
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Meanings
nouncountableBritish
An official document that gives you permission to do, own, or use something.
Grammar: In British English, the noun is spelled 'licence' with a 'c'. It is a countable noun, so you can say 'a licence' or 'licences'.
Patterns
- a driving licence
- a licence for something
- a licence to do something
You need a driving licence to drive a car in the UK.
The restaurant lost its licence to sell alcohol after the incident.
She showed her licence to the police officer.
verbtransitiveBritish
To give official permission for something, or to give someone a licence.
Grammar: In British English, the verb is spelled 'license' with an 's'. It takes an object: license a business, license someone to do something.
Patterns
- license something
- license someone to do something
- be licensed to do something
The local council licenses all taxi drivers in the city.
This software is licensed to one user only.
He is licensed to practice law in England.
Word forms
| plural | licences |
|---|---|
| third person singular | licenses |
| past tense | licensed |
| past participle | licensed |
| -ing form | licensing |
Common combinations
- driving licence
- He renewed his driving licence at the post office.
- licence fee
- The TV licence fee is paid annually.
- license plate
- The car's license plate was stolen.
- licensed premises
- The bar is licensed premises and can sell alcohol until midnight.
Synonyms and how they differ
- permit
- A permit is often a more formal or official document, and it is used in both British and American English; 'licence' is the usual British noun for driving, TV, etc.
- certificate
- A certificate proves a fact or qualification, while a licence gives permission to do something.
Word family
- licensee noun
- A person who has been given a licence, especially to sell alcohol.
- licensing noun
- The process of giving official permission for something.
- licensed adjective
- Having an official licence.
Commonly confused: license uk or licence?
license uk vs licence
In British English, 'licence' is the noun and 'license' is the verb. In American English, both are spelled 'license'.
Practice
In British English, which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
In British English, the noun is spelled 'licence' with a 'c'. 'License' with an 's' is the verb. The other options are misspellings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “license uk”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.