/ ˈlaɪsns; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
( BrE also less frequent li·cence ) to give sb official permission to do, own, or use sth :
[ vn ]
The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US.
( BrE )
licensing hours (= the times when alcohol can be sold at a pub, etc.)
[ vn to inf ]
They had licensed the firm to produce the drug.
■ noun
( NAmE ) = licence :
a driver's license
a license for the software
a license holder (= a person who has been given a license)
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from licence . The spelling -se arose by analogy with pairs such as practice , practise .