Adjacent Words

permit definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a legal document giving official permission to do something [syn: license, licence, permit]
2: the act of giving a formal (usually written) authorization [syn: license, permission, permit]
3: large game fish; found in waters of the West Indies [syn: permit, Trachinotus falcatus] v
1: consent to, give permission; "She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband"; "I won't let the police search her basement"; "I cannot allow you to see your exam" [syn: permit, allow, let, countenance] [ant: disallow, forbid, interdict, nix, prohibit, proscribe, veto]
2: make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen; "This permits the water to rush in"; "This sealed door won't allow the water come into the basement"; "This will permit the rain to run off" [syn: let, allow, permit] [ant: keep, prevent]
3: allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting; "We don't allow dogs here"; "Children are not permitted beyond this point"; "We cannot tolerate smoking in the hospital" [syn: allow, permit, tolerate]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (permitted; permitting) Etymology: Middle English permitten, from Latin permittere to let through, permit, from per- through + mittere to let go, send Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. to consent to expressly or formally <permit access to records> 2. to give leave ; authorize 3. to make possible <the design permits easy access> intransitive verb to give an opportunity ; allow <if time permits> • permittee noun • permitter noun II. noun Date: 1682 1. a written warrant or license granted by one having authority <a gun permit> 2. permission III. noun Etymology: perhaps by folk etymology from Spanish palometa, a kind of pompano, from diminutive of paloma dove, from Latin palumba, palumbes — more at palomino Date: circa 1945 either of two pompanos (Trachinotus falcatus and T. goodei) that are important game fishes of temperate to tropical waters of the western Atlantic

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. (permitted, permitting) 1 tr. give permission or consent to; authorize (permit me to say). 2 a tr. allow; give an opportunity to (permit the traffic to flow again). b intr. give an opportunity (circumstances permitting). 3 intr. (foll. by of) admit; allow for. --n. 1 a a document giving permission to act in a specified way (was granted a work permit). b a document etc. which allows entry into a specified zone. 2 formal permission. Derivatives: permittee n. permitter n. Etymology: L permittere (as PER-, mittere miss- let go)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Permit Per*mit", n. [Cf. Sp. palamida a kind of scombroid fish.] (a) A large pompano (Trachinotus goodei) of the West Indies, Florida, etc. It becomes about three feet long. (b) The round pompano. (T. falcatus). [Local, U. S.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Permit Per*mit", v. i. To grant permission; to allow.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Permit Per"mit, n. Warrant; license; leave; permission; specifically, a written license or permission given to a person or persons having authority; as, a permit to land goods subject to duty.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Permit Per*mit", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Permitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Permitting.] [L. permittere, permissum, to let through, to allow, permit; per + mittere to let go, send. See Per-, and Mission.] 1. To consent to; to allow or suffer to be done; to tolerate; to put up with. What things God doth neither command nor forbid . . . he permitteth with approbation either to be done or left undone. --Hooker. 2. To grant (one) express license or liberty to do an act; to authorize; to give leave; -- followed by an infinitive. Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. --Acis xxvi. 1. 3. To give over; to resign; to leave; to commit. Let us not aggravate our sorrows, But to the gods permit the event of things. --Addison. Syn: To allow; let; grant; admit; suffer; tolerate; endure; consent to. Usage: To Allow, Permit, Suffer, Tolerate. To allow is more positive, denoting (at least originally and etymologically) a decided assent, either directly or by implication. To permit is more negative, and imports only acquiescence or an abstinence from prevention. The distinction, however, is often disregarded by good writers. To suffer has a stronger passive or negative sense than to permit, sometimes implying against the will, sometimes mere indifference. To tolerate is to endure what is contrary to will or desire. To suffer and to tolerate are sometimes used without discrimination.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(permitted) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If someone permits something, they allow it to happen. If they permit you to do something, they allow you to do it. (FORMAL) He can let the court's decision stand and permit the execution... Employees are permitted to use the golf course during their free hours... No outside journalists have been permitted into the country... If they appear to be under 12, then the doorman is not allowed to permit them entry to the film. VERB: V n, V n to-inf, be V-ed into n, V n n 2. A permit is an official document which says that you may do something. For example you usually need a permit to work in a foreign country. The majority of foreign nationals working here have work permits... N-COUNT 3. If a situation permits something, it makes it possible for that thing to exist, happen, or be done or it provides the opportunity for it. (FORMAL) He sets about creating an environment that just doesn't permit experiment, it encourages it... Try to go out for a walk at lunchtime, if the weather permits... This method of cooking also permits heat to penetrate evenly from both sides. = allow VERB: V n, V, V n to-inf, also V of n 4. If you permit yourself something, you allow yourself to do something that you do not normally do or that you think you probably should not do. Captain Bowen permitted himself one cigar a day... Only once in his life had Douglas permitted himself to lose control of his emotions. = allow VERB: V pron-refl n, V pron-refl to-inf 5. You can use permit me when you are about to say something or to make a suggestion. (FORMAL) Permit me to give you some advice... = allow me PHRASE: PHR to-inf [politeness]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Allow, let, suffer, tolerate, endure, put up with. 2. Empower, authorize, warrant, give permission to, give leave to, give carte-blanche to, grant, admit, license, consent to. II. v. n. Allow. III. n. Leave, license, permission, liberty, warrant.

Moby Thesaurus

OK, accede to, accept, accord, accord to, accredit, admit, affirm, agree to, allow, allowance, amen, approve, approve of, assent, authenticate, authority, authorization, authorize, autograph, be willing, brook, building permit, certify, condescend, confirm, connive at, consent, consent to, consent to silently, cosign, countenance, countersign, deign, dispense, empower, enable, endorse, enfranchise, fishing license, franchise, give consent, give leave, give permission, give the go-ahead, give the imprimatur, give the word, give thumbs up, go along with, grant, have, have no objection, hold with, hunting license, imprimatur, initial, leave, let, license, make possible, nihil obstat, nod, nod assent, not refuse, notarize, okay, pass, pass on, pass upon, passport, ratify, release, rubber stamp, sanction, say amen to, say aye, say the word, say yes, seal, second, sign, sign and seal, subscribe to, suffer, sufferance, support, swear and affirm, swear to, take kindly to, tolerate, undersign, underwrite, validate, visa, vise, vote affirmatively, vote aye, vouchsafe, warrant, wink at, yield assent