Etymograph

English

license

License comes from Old French licence, from Latin licentia, from licēns ‘free’, from licet ‘it is allowed’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElicetas licere, present participle‘it is allowed’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElicēns‘free, unrestrained’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElicentia
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400licence‘leave’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1850license

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElicetas licere, present participle‘it is allowed’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElicēns‘free, unrestrained’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElicentia
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400licence‘leave’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1850license

Earliest quotation: 1850, [Alfred, Canto XXVII: “I envy not the beast that takes ⁠His license…”

Linked words

through Latin licet ‘to be allowed, be allowable’

leisure, illicit, 4 more

Another origin of license

  1. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500licentiō
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400licencer
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500licencen
  4. Englishtodaylicense

Today it means

noun A legal document giving official permission to do something; a permit.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Latin licet / license

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